The Trainer’s Workout

I woke up this morning and rolled over in my bed to sit, put my feet on the floor, instinctively raised my arms above my head to stretch and felt this wave of burning ache roll through my upper back up to my shoulders and into my arms. ‘Oooouuch! Holy moley what the heck did I do yesterday?’ those were the first raspy words out of my mouth today.

What I did yesterday was have the very special treat of doing a workout with the very trainers that have put me through pain every week for that past year or so. I told them I was doing Tough Mudder and they invited me to their ‘exclusive’ Saturday workouts. What they refer to as ‘crazy training workouts’, and since you have to be crazy to do Tough Mudder I figured that would be perfect.

So how did it go? Splendidly.

Note to self:

Trainers are people too. They lift weights, balance on training balls, pull themselves up, do push-ups, joke around, cry, whine, grunt, cuss and complain to their mothers. Just. Like. Us. Also, they hate running! Which I found priceless, especially since prior to the workout I warmed up with a two mile jog. (Ha!)

The secret is: there is no secret. In addition to showing me their workouts are tough for them too they also showed me that being healthy and fit has no secret recipe. It’s eating right and working your hardest. This workout wasn’t much different than the strength training sessions I’ve done with my fellow novice workout buddies. Granted they did lift twice what I did and their physio-ball pikes and dive bomber push-ups had near perfect form but the work is the same.

They don’t have a secret routine but give you the same formula they follow. Do this and you will get stronger, faster and leaner. I know this because I do it and it works. It was very reassuring to know that they have been so open to the people that come to them for help, like me. They share with you all the information they have at their disposal and it’s up to you to apply. I didn’t lift or perform at optimum level but the point is I showed up, I picked up the weights and I tried my best (to not be distracted by my amusement at them complaining).