Thoughts on personal training

Wow, the tops of my legs were really sore yesterday.  I’m told those are called “quads”.  I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know.  I did spend about 30 minutes during “Covert Affairs” using the foam roller.  That thing is painful!  But supposedly helpful.

Chris often asks what I do in my workouts with Mike.  The sad truth is…I usually don’t remember.  He’ll ask what muscles I am working out, and I’ll answer, you know, legs, or arms, or whatnot.  Even when I know what muscle an exercise is supposed to be working, often I feel it somewhere entirely different.  Usually in my right wrist or left shoulder…oh wait, that’s probably a problem (violin-related I’m sure.)  Oh, and sometimes I don’t remember because we goof off a lot and I am easily distracted.  Nonetheless I generally get an awesome workout!  Somehow.  Or maybe I don’t.  I could be totally wrong.  I’m not trained.

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I guess that’s why I need a personal trainer.  I am completely unable to do weight lifting without being told what to do.  It’s as if my brain shuts off when my muscles start working.  Peter Sagal has the same problem (from Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me) and wrote a great article in the July edition of “Runner’s World”.  One could argue that I COULD do a proper workout on my own and I simply don’t have to, therefore I can’t, but I might disagree.  It worries me…what will I do when I no longer have a personal trainer?  Yes, in an ideal world I would ALWAYS have one, but I’m sure there will come a point when I’ll stop.  Or maybe at that point I will feel ready to move on?  Has anyone experienced this?  I’ve been working out with a trainer for about 1 1/2 years.  (Mike is my second trainer.  My first trainer left the gym to become a car salesman, but then came back.  I had already moved on though.  No hard feelings of course—Joe was and still is awesome.)

And no, I’m not rich!  I just think it’s important, because I have never felt better in my entire life.  Yes, I am lucky to be able to afford a trainer.  But I rent in a cheap area, have a fairly small place, wear clothes from Target and Old Navy, and do not have a huge TV.   Fiscal matters are often a matter of choice.  My TV is over ten years old.  Lucky too, because the thieves didn’t want it.

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(that baby doesn’t need a trainer, he probably could train me!)

Okay, I AM rich.  But not in money.  In friendships and love and fat cats.  And I am rich in comparison to most of the world’s population.

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Now you know if you are a millionaire or not.  I wasn’t sure before.  Now I know.  (I am not telling you the answer.)

How is your Friday going?  I am looking forward to my day immensely.  I don’t have any tremendous plans for the weekend, and Sunday I must wake up early and drive to Kansas for Suzuki Institute Teacher Training (can’t wait!)  Should be great 🙂

5 thoughts on “Thoughts on personal training”

  1. I wish I had a trainer. I just wing it.

    I did Suzuki growing up. I still remember all those songs with (great?) affection.

  2. Having a trainer makes sense to me. I’ve never had one, but I’m sure it’s helpful in the same way that (for example) taking violin lessons is helpful…

    Enjoy the institute!

    1. You know, I do liken it to music lessons, which I have taken my whole life (of course) but no longer do. I never felt guilty about taking music lessons…

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