What it’s really like to train women
This one comes straight from the studio, and straight from my heart because this is what my ‘job’ is really all about. For those of you who are fans of Simon Sinek, there’s a little bit of ‘why’.
When I’m asked what I do I still stumble a little over the phrase, “I own my own PT business – I work with women at all stages of their lives to be the very best version of themselves.” But I never feel that really does my job (not that I really see it as a ‘job’) justice. Training women’s bodies is part of it…but I really do a whole lot more than that.
This week alone I’ve taught a new mum how to breathe again, I’ve sent a client home with my copy of The Notebook on BluRay because what she needed above all else was a bloody good cry. I’ve helped one client lift weights for the first time in her life, and introduced another to the joys of her transverse abdominus (TA) and pelvic floor (PF) muscles and the magic that they create when they work together effectively. A few weeks ago I took yet another client out to The Rumour Mill for a green smoothie and a chat rather than a workout because sometimes quite simply a sweaty hard session would have done more to break her than build her up. And I’m all about building up.
In the Studio on Wednesday night this week a conversation took place between me and the two clients who were there for their weekly session on the Power Plate…it went something like this:-
Client 1: “We’re not feeling very ‘raaar’ (hear a lion’s roar) tonight.”
Me: “I can’t stop thinking about Andy’s bar of Dairy Milk in the fridge…I must be premenstrual.”
Client 2: “I’m menstrual”
Client 1: “I’m ovulating”
We all fell about laughing.
All of that is what it’s like to train women. Long before a client arrives at the Studio I already have a plan of what I intend to do for them in that session. Within two minutes of them walking through the door I’ve often completely re-written the plan!
Because we all have our shit that we’re dealing with. Because we all have our pressures and our angst, worries and anxieties. We all have our health and fitness goals, and every single one of those women have paid me a lot of money to help bring those goals to life – and that is a responsibility that I take utterly seriously. Oftentimes turning up for the session is the hardest and most enormously selfish act of commitment that woman has made that day.
But sometimes the kindest, most uplifting thing I can do for you – that woman – is to throw my session out the window, listen to your words and observe your body and give you what you really need. And I just ask that you trust me enough to be able to figure out what that is.
I love doing what I do every single day. I give of myself to each and every woman I spend time with. I listen, I watch and I do all that I can to put myself in your shoes. Sometimes I won’t give you want you think you want – but it’s my responsibility to give you what you need. And sometimes that is someone to take responsibility for you – to tell you what to do, so you don’t have to think for half an hour, and just care for you…body and soul.
What is it like to train women?
It’s different every single day. It’s full of laughs and chatter and showing women that they are more, and can do more than they ever thought possible.
Why would I do anything else?!