All Joking Aside! Fitness Trainers and Humor!

   It is often said that humor is a good thing to have in the workplace. Having a laugh can take the edge off of the tension. A lighthearted workplace can actually be an enjoyable place to work. A joyless workplace can be uninviting!  I have worked in places where my coworkers were always dead serious. I have worked in other places where joking around was common. I much prefer the latter environment. However, in the fitness business as in every workplace, the wrong type of humor at the wrong time can be a lit dynamite stick of grief. It could even get you fired! If you have your own Fitness Training business such trouble can harm your reputation and in the worst scenario can invite a harassment complaint.
   Working out can can be hard! Muscle fatigue and anaerobic intensity can cause brief discomfort. Some clients may be uptight about working out or they may feel uncomfortable around fit people. I want to make the workout experience enjoyable for my clients even if the workout is tough.  Enjoyment heightens the commitment.  However it is important to develop a knack for reading your client. Keep in mind the following points:

• Some people just don't have a sense of humor. They may feel that you are not a serious person if you joke around. They may even get annoyed. 
• Fitness trainers often deal with people that have poor body image and other issues. Something said in jest may unintentionally offend them.
•  Your client may not be used to your beer league hockey or rugby fest tradition of locker room irreverence. They may find it shocking and revolting.
• Someone nearby may overhear something that you say to your client. They may object.
• Beware of that rare person looking to make an example of someone by complaining. Don't put yourself in a position to be their target!

   I am not saying that a Fitness Trainer can't joke around.  I am saying know your client well! 

One of my long time clients was of a biblical religion historically older than mine. I would get him to the anaerobic pain threshold on the exercise bike. The usual quip was that I would lower the intensity if he converted. I knew this client well! With someone else such a joke could well have been a career breaker.

   Humor that offends may be labelled as 'inappropriate'. The problem is that some people are very easily offended. Minimize your chances of getting into trouble with such people. Unless you know your client well, avoid the following:

• Sexual humor.  Heed the Rolling Stones lyrics "Don't play with me, cause you're playing with fire!"  This path can get you burnt!
• Religious jokes. (Remember, I knew my long time client very well)
• Racial jokes. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Archie Bunker is dead!
• Family members. Yours or your client's are off limits for jokes. 
• Politics. This topic can turn ugly quickly. I once lost a potential wealthy client by ribbing him the day after a federal election that went badly for his ideological voting choice.
• Jokes relating to your client's weight or shape. You are there to help them remedy that,  not poke fun at them.

   If you happen to slip up and say something that offends,.....apologize immediately!

Don't let it fester. Hope and pray that the client puts it in the past.
   In the blogging world, I can always proof read and double check my words before I press the publish icon. In the real world, once you open your mouth the words are out there. There is no second chance.  After that, there is only damage control!

   You want your client to keep coming to you for training. You also want them to tell their friends about you and help market you. You want the sessions to be an enjoyable experience rather than a physical torture session. Be smart. Always be ready to smile but if in doubt back off on the jokes!

   Now for a Canadian style- beer league hockey locker room joke. A baby seal walks into a club......

"Did you hear the one about !?**# ?"
If in doubt about the appropriateness of the humor, don't use it. 

Until next time,.......keep fit! 

Little Bobby Strong!

Can Running Put You in Danger?

     Is running an activity that can put you at risk?  I don't mean the risk that comes from strained muscles, sprained ligaments, overheating, dehydration, or cardiovascular emergencies. I am referring to the type of danger that comes from ominous external threats. The recent bombing at the Boston Marathon showed that runners can be targets for violence.
   Realistically, the chances of being present for a bombing are thankfully slim. However there are other potential threats out there such as:

• Dogs! Bony legs and moving human bodies can often bring out the beast in even the most peaceful pooch. 
• Other wildlife! I have run into bears while running on mountain trails. Fortunately the bear always took off one way while I ran the other way. Cougars, although elusive, can be especially dangerous predators. Coyotes used to be bashful around humans. In Eastern Canada they have been breeding with dogs and the offspring are larger and more aggressive. Hikers have been attacked and even killed! Take precautions in the wilderness. Think about carrying bells, pepper spray or doing your running in a group!
• Idiot drivers! These fools like to yell obscenities at distance runners. Usually this is the extent of the threat but in extreme cases they will throw projectiles, such as beer cans, at the runners. There is also the danger of the car veering towards the runner -often on purpose.
• Drunk and impaired drivers!  Run defensively and steer clear. Never assume your right of way is sacred when crossing intersections.
• Sexual predators! For women runners especially, this is a threat that is always hauntingly present. One of my track coaches would not let his women athletes run the trails or roads alone under his watch. It shouldn't be this way but it is better to play it on the safe side. 
• Drunks and hooligans! Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence but the potential is there for runners to come across these types of trouble making thugs in downtown areas or even in public parks. Usually you can outrun them if they are drunk or stoned but they are best steered well clear of. I used to go running at night through the cheating side of town just for the adrenaline rush. I called it the riffraff run!  In retrospect, with age and wisdom, it doesn't seem like a very smart idea.

   What are some ways of keeping the risks minimal?

•  Run with a group. Groups provide a certain amount of safety.
• Be aware of your surroundings. I have never been a fan of running with ear pods for listening to music. It takes the crucial sense of hearing out of the equation.
• Avoid risky surroundings such as dark alleys, secluded trails, or any areas far from help.
• Trust your instincts! If your spider sense are tingling, change your route.
• There is always the option to carry bells, or defensive sprays to deter animals or thugs.
• Carry a cell phone if you are running in areas of concern,
• Develop an extra running gear, just in case.

   The implications for Fitness Trainers are obvious. Don't send a client out on a run alone under your watch! Send them out with a group. Run or bike along with them. If those options aren't possible, use a treadmill and keep them inside. The client is under your care for that allotted period of time!
If something happens, the Fitness Trainer could be liable!    

Other than the bear encounters, I have had few bad experiences while out running. Chances are, you will not either. Runners rarely carry purses or wallets with them so robbers will usually get a paltry haul. I suppose state of the art shoes or a designer running suit could be coveted by undesirables. Just being a runner can sometimes make you a target for some brainless neanderthal oafs.  However, always think safety first. Be smart! Don't put yourself in a position where physical harm can happen to you!

Be smart! Be Alert! Be cautious!
Running through a dark alley in a bad part of town - not recommended!
(Especially with a pink t-shirt and tights.)

Until next time,....keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net

Wild animals can be problematic.
Pepper spray and bells won't help in this situation!
Don't neglect your speed intervals!

Say It Ain't So Lance!

   Were you really that surprised! You thought that Lance Armstrong and those other pro bicyclists
actually cycled up those mountains at that speed fuelled only by granola bars and Gatorade. I suppose you think that those monstrously gargantuan bodybuilders in the Mr. Olympia contest owe it all to pumping iron and protein powder. Yes, and those NFL football lineman snorting and frothing at the mouth like Brahma bulls are just caught up in the heat of the moment. Of course those female shot putters from eastern block countries with no necks and the five o'clock shadows are just husky tomboys! Pro wrestlers are just rowdy, rambunctious good old boys with hearty appetites that help them grow such cartoonish muscles!
 
   Now there are stories circulating that elite mountaineers tackling Mount Everest are relying on steroids to assist them in the brutal ascents and descent! I would also assume that blood enriching compounds just might be beneficial for people trudging up frozen rock faces at extreme altitude. There are no doping test facilities at Base Camp and no officials waiting for a urine sample.

   Before Lance, there was the BALCO scandal. That's as in Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, a 'supplement' company that got caught in a sting operation and implicated numerous baseball stars. The ensuing BALCO fallout brought down the world's fastest man Tim Montgomery. It also led to the loss of an Olympic title and a jail term for lying under oath to Olympic sprint queen Marion Jones.
Going even further back there was Canada's Olympic 100 meter sprint champion Ben Johnson. 'Big Ben' went from the gold medal podium to the annals of sporting shame with a failed drug test.
   Performance enhancing drugs have been with us for some time. Steroids and human growth hormone can build muscle and strength and aid recovery. Blood boosters such as EPO (erythropoietin) can increase stamina for endurance sports. Amphetamines have been used as picker-uppers by athletes for decades.  Many of these drugs were developed to treat symptoms of aging and certain muscle and tissue wasting diseases such as cancer. They have been adopted by athletes and bodybuilders.Keep in mind that these substances:

• Can build muscle with intense weight training
• Can improve athletic performance with proper training
• Can aid in recuperation from intense exercise
• Can enhance endurance
• May aid energy levels during an athletic event 
• Are banned in most sports
• Are legally controlled substances
• Can have side effects and health consequences both physical and possibly mental

   As a Fitness Trainer, the day may come when someone will ask you about using such substances. It may be a naive but curious potential client that you can set straight with common sense.  There is also the possibility that it may be a short - cut seeking muscle man or athlete wannabe who might be best turned down cold and avoided.
   If you train out of a hard-core style gym, you may actually know such a monger of muscle enhancers.
Don't even think of steering the inquisitive soul towards such a purveyor of pumped up products.
Why not, you might ask? There are a few good reasons.

1. You DO NOT want to be associated with that part of the business if you want to have a respected and conventional Fitness Training career. Remember, image is important and word spreads like wildfire in a gym setting.
2. It IS against the law! Sure, it is an unlikely scenario, but you don't want to be the go-between in a narc sting. I used to moonlight as a bouncer at a nightclub on the cheating side of town. A waitress there once steered an undercover cop to the neighbourhood, sleazebag drug dealer. She got arrested along with the sleazebag. Don't be the fitness club version of Wicked Wanda, the witless waitress!
3. Some, but not all, sources of performance enhancing drugs may be connected to organized crime rings. That is all the more reason to steer clear!  Cement overshoes are not an ideal method to develop your quad muscles.

   There may be a legitimate situation in which you have a client with hormonal issues such as low testosterone levels. In such a case you should refer the client to a medical doctor. 
If you have reason to believe that one of your clients may be dabbling in the sorcerer's supplements, refer them to a physician. Do not fool around with this! Things could get out of hand.  

Obviously you do not supply steroids to make up for the client's testosterone shortfall. Nor do you

approach the gym musclehead supplier with the biker connections.

   Hopefully you're not thinking of doing this but I'll comment just in case you are. Why not tap into that niche? Why couldn't you become the Fitness/Strength Consultant and go-to guide for substances for the elite/ pro athletes? Some of them can pay big time. I'll give you 3 reasons or more specifically 3 names:

1. Kirk R. : Kirk was the Fitness Trainer and steroid guru for a number of professional pro baseball players. The FBI busted him and he wound up turning evidence against a number of his clients.
2. Brian M. : Brian was the Fitness/ Strength Consultant for a controversial baseball pitching sensation.  He was also outed and testified against his client. He was counter-sued and his reputation was dragged through the mud.
3. Greg A. : Greg was the Fitness Trainer and alleged drug guru for baseball's controversial new home run king. He was busted but refused to testify against his high profile client. He spent much time in and out of the slammer for contempt of court as a result.

   These three trainers only allegedly supplied to clients that were willing. They supposedly obtained the substances from supplement companies or steroid friendly doctors, not from organized criminal gangs. However, all three made the decision to step over a certain line .Their reputations are tarnished. They have paid legally and financially.

Their careers as legitimate Fitness Trainers are finished!
This path is a risky one.

    It is not even advisable to suggest that a client take certain supplements. There have been instances of a person taking a suggested supplement, having a bad reaction, and suing their Fitness Trainer. Stick to advising your clients to eat sensibly. If you feel your client has some sort of food deficiency refer them to a nutritionist or a medical practitioner
   One more thing on this topic of performance enhancing substances. There is something that all Canadians know deep down in our souls. Big Ben was framed!!!!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Until next time,.............keep fit

Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net

Using performance enhancing substances can be risky business !

Here are some interesting references on this topic:

Steroid Nation    Shaun Assael 2007 ESPN Books

Bases Loaded     Kirk Radomski 2009 Hudson Street Press

The Dirtiest Race in History  Richard Moore 2012  Bloomsbury Publishing

Edmonton Police Services Report on East End Narcotics Sting Based on 1995 plea bargaining testimony of  Wicked Wanda the Witless Waitress at Hard Shots Sports Lounge 

  

Fitness Training - Loving What You Do

   I just read an article in a free daily newspaper called '24'. There was an interesting article called 'Does your job make the world a worse place?' by Joanne Richard. The article suggests that certain jobs make people  feel bad about how they earn their money. A caption of the story states that "Fast-food workers top list of those who feel guilty about their jobs." Obviously serving unhealthy food to people that are already on the road to poor health can weigh down a working person's conscience. Obesity is reaching critical levels with the North American population. Warning - feeding this building epidemic may cause guilt!
   There are other notorious jobs on the list of guilt inducing occupations:

• Casino dealers. Do they enable gambling addicts?
• Telemarketers. Bothering people during their precious down time.
• Loan collectors. Chasing after money from the poor, the unlucky or the deadbeats.
• Bartenders. Mongers of strong liquid swill.

  Not everyone in these professions actually feel remorse over it. To many of them, it is just a way to make ends meet and pay the bills. Some may be students in their first job. Others may even actually like what they do.

   Then there are the other jobs. They don't cause guilt but they do not exactly fill the employee with self-esteem. I can remember an office job that was so soul-sucking and so lacking in any semblance of self-actualization that it was an ordeal to get out of bed each morning. It was the trap known as the 'golden handcuffs' where you stuck around for the paycheck but just went through the motions mentally.  Of course, I escaped every quitting time into my world of sports and fitness. That kept me sane,......barely.
 
   I have stated often that FitnessTraining can be a difficult profession. Clients don't just throw money at you
because you are a fitness expert. It can be hard work. There are fitness club owners that may think of you as mere cannon fodder. You can be taken for granted. You can be underpaid. You often have to go beyond your comfort zone by hustling for business or requesting financial compensation. You can have difficult clients.
   However Fitness Trainers do not feel guilty! Fitness Trainers offer a service that will improve the lives of those that participate. Fitness Trainers do not feed unhealthy lifestyle habits. Fitness Trainers do not enable addiction. Even an exercise addict would be counselled by a good trainer to moderate their lifestyle.  (Of course, an unrepentant, problem exercise addict would be referred to an appropriate professional.)  Fitness Trainers earn their pay by enabling active and healthy lifestyle improvements!  Working towards a positive outcome is the key to career self-actualization.
Self-actualization is one of the building blocks of personal happiness.
   I would doubt that many Fitness Trainers feel guilty about helping people improve their lives.
If the unlikely event that they do, they are definitely in the wrong profession. For those people....
a career on Wall Street beckons.

Until next time,..........keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net 

Only Cowards Target Runners!

   I hope they catch the cowards!

   Bombers and terrorists, like all cowards, attack soft targets. Few victims are more vulnerable for violence than marathoners in the late stages of a race. They have tunnel vision. They are focused mostly on the finish line. They are depleted of energy. They are mentally drained. I've run five marathons and I would have been incapable of much defensive action to protect myself from any personal threats in the closing stages.
    Marathoners are also an undeserving target. (Not that there are deserving targets for this type of horror)
Long distance runners in particular are an unlikely lot to be worthy of the wrath of the perpetrators.
As a demographic group in general distance runners often show certain traits.

• They are environmentally conscious
• They care about the poor and the disadvantaged. Many road races donate a portion of the race profits to such charities.
• They tend to have more of an anti-war attitude than the general population
• They are often sympathetic to the plight of underdeveloped nations and support other solutions besides military intervention

Why pick on them?  I am trying to use reason to determine why this was done. Such action was done by those without reason. Their motivation is pure hate and cowardice!

Running is supposed to be an escape from the issues of the everyday world. Someone in a routine office job can hit the trails after work and on weekends and feel a sense of freedom. The outside world is not supposed to interfere in this time of escape.
   Unfortunately such acts of insanity have happened in the past. At the Munich Olympics, Palestinian terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage and later killed them. A bomb exploded in a public park at the Atlanta Olympics.
   These treacherous acts did not specifically target runners but they were too close for comfort. A less murderous situation occurred at the Athens Olympics in 2004 when some nut case jumped the leader of the marathon with a few miles left to run. The unfortunate runner got loose and still finished 3rd. They should have awarded him a specially cast extra gold medal.

The runner's temporary escape from the cold cruel real world may not really exist! This bombing at the Boston Marathon has taken this away!

I hope the catch the cowards that did this. They never had the guts to actually run a marathon!


Little Bobby Strong

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net   

 

Proper Screening for Fitness Training Clients

  A Fitness Trainer should not knowingly expose a client to any health problems!

   No Fitness Trainer wants to turn away prospective clients. Just getting them to the table can be challenging enough. Signing them up seems to be a priority. However we also have to cover our butt from a legal perspective. Always think safety first! There are certain circumstances in which it is best to refer new clients to the proper professional before working with them. Here are some red flags to be wary of:

• Consistently high blood pressure readings of over 145mm Hg systolic or 95 mm Hg diastolic 
• Consistently high resting heart rate of over 100 beats per minute
• If client is on high blood pressure medication
• If client is on heart medication
• If client is diabetic or hypoglycemic
• If you suspect client has an eating disorder or abnormal body image issues
• Severe orthopedic issues such as joint or bone issues 
• Suspicion or knowledge of anabolic steroid use
• If client answers 'yes' to any of the questions on the Par-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) medical screening form

   If a prospective client shows any of the above red flags refer them to the proper professional. The purpose of such screening is not to turn away business. The purpose is to ensure safety first and avoid any liability issues. The physician that you refer your client to may send them back to you with some guidelines for training. Then you have knowledge about the client on your side. You will be better able to come up with the proper exercise prescription. Keep in mind that if the prospective client falls into the category of a 'special population' you may not be insured to work with them without an advanced level of Fitness Training certification.
   This is not something to fool around with. A Fitness Trainer should never go beyond their scope. They should be ready do what is best for the client within their capabilities.

I know Fitness Trainers that have had clients drop on them with a medical emergency
due to a missed physical condition. It is bad for business!
Try to limit the chances of it happening to your client!

Until next time,.......keep fit!

Little Bobby Strong!

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net

What the Heck! Olympics Drops Wrestling!

   What were they thinking?  Have they gone stark raving mad? The International Olympic Committee has just announced that they are dropping the sport of amateur wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games.
We are talking about one of the oldest sports in history. Running, jumping, throwing, and wrestling formed the backbone of the ancient Greek Olympics. How much more natural can you get than that?
   Unlike other sports such as track and field, weightlifting and bicycling, wrestling has remained mostly free from doping scandals. There are rarely any judging or refereeing boondoggles as there are in figure skating, synchronized swimming, or soccer. Wrestling is the national sport in countries such as Turkey, Iran, much of Asia, the Balkans, and many former Soviet block countries. Wrestling is a top sport in Europe. Iran and the U.S.A. are distrustful military foes yet visiting American wrestlers to Iran are adulated like rock stars. Amateur wrestling transcends politics!
   In North America people think of the circus-like, staged showmanship of professional wrestling when they hear the word wrestling. Amateur wrestling is under appreciated in North America but Canadian and American wrestlers have enjoyed much success on the world stage.
   The world wrestling body has even brought women's amateur wrestling into the fold. They have been good citizens of the international sporting world. Yet how has wrestling been rewarded for all of it's modernistic, forward thinking action? It has been dropped from the roster for more so-called 'T.V. friendly sports' such as skateboarding and golf. The excitement of wrestling has been unfairly underrated.
Gadzooks! Where is the justice in all of this?
   At one time amateur wrestling was a staple high school sport. It was inexpensive and people of all body types and sizes could participate. It also gave kids something to do besides watch the tube or play video games. Lately the sport has been struggling to keep up numbers at the grass roots level. Losing Olympic status could be a nail in the coffin of this sport in North America. The Olympics was one of the rare times that amateur wrestling would get any significant exposure. Now the exposure will be be almost non-existent. My fear is that the sport could go into a decline from which it might not recover.
   Why am I so concerned? This sport was an important part of my past. Wrestling enabled a shy, scrawny, undersized teenager to gain some measure of self esteem and confidence. Throw in a simultaneous discovery of the joy of the weight room and I stumbled upon the ways to back the bullies off.
 ( I was also a distance runner but that didn't have the same deterrent effect. If you want to clean out a biker bar, who are you going to bring with you -a Kenyan marathoner or a Bulgarian heavyweight champ?)  During my teenage years, telling on goons just got you bullied worse. You either ran away or you built up your physical and psychological armor. I did both in my days. However wrestling and weights helped with the preferred latter method. (My advice to a bullied teenager today would be to out the bully to an authority figure but also consider getting involved in an activity that helps build confidence.)  It should be noted that wrestlers are never bullies!

   Wrestling also gave me a competitive purpose that you didn't get from going home after school to watch T.V. Now it seems possible that a whole new generation may grow up without exposure to this character building activity. They will instead be inundated with trendier activities that lack the noble historic roots.
They may even just opt out and play computer games all day.

 My Fitness Training career also has some wrestling ties. I was a fitness adviser to a nationally ranked wrestler who has won a medal at the Canadian championships. It is a sport where strength and conditioning can be crucial.
   Of course, there was also my planned wrestling comeback for the 2020 Olympics! I figured that if the the favorites  were preoccupied with laying hip tosses on each other, Little Bobby Strong could sneak in though the back door to glory and fame. The ultimate long shot could make the ultimate score!
(Since when have I let a lack of talent and technique stand in the way of my dreams.) Sadly, thanks to the
corporate takeover of the Olympic movement by the forces of the ostentatious entertainment industry, it will remain as just that -a dream!
 
Life will go on.  I'll always have Fitness Training!

Until next time,...keep fit!

An Olympic decision to drop wrestling from the program.
A comeback dream shattered!
(Picture compliments of my apartment complex security cameras)

Little Bobby Strong

           

schwabe27.uwmfatloss.hop.clickbank.net