News flash: Personal trainers aren't perfect either. We do all the same human stuff you do. Sometimes we do great on our plan all week and get off track over the weekend when hanging out with our friends. Sometimes we set new goals for the week and then fall back in the same old habits. We go overboard on holidays and some of us (GASP) like beer and donuts.
We too get excited about a new program then fall off the wagon three weeks into it. We might not always talk about it, but I assure you unless your trainer is from another planet, they aren't perfect either.
I thought it would be fun to explore how, as fitness trainers, we sometimes fall into the "Do as I say not what I do." trap. It's not that we're hypocrites, it's that we're human. There is no such thing as perfect, so it's a good idea to redefine what perfection looks like for you.
We are all individuals and what is perfect for one person could be a disaster for another. My perfect plan includes pizza sometimes and an occasional glass (or three) of wine because for me, heavy restricting always led to overindulging. That's me. You might be different.
I stopped trying to be perfect a long time ago. It's a losing battle. I do the best I can and sometimes my best is a long fall from perfection...and that's ok. I learned how to balance my goals with my lifestyle. For example, I know that to maintain my weight and work towards strength goals I need to limit my alcohol intake and how often I eat out. These are sacrifices I make to reach my goals, but sometimes I get off track.
“The biggest lesson I learned is that it is not about how often you get off track, but how quickly you can get back on. ”
The sooner you realize that you don't have to be perfect to make progress the more sane and sustainable your journey. Do the best you can, be mindful, try to do the right thing most of time, allow room for treats, and when you make a mistake (we all do), get back on track as soon as possible.
To illustrate my point I reached out on one of my trainer's groups on Facebook and asked for "Confessions of a Fit Professional." I thought the answers were so human and eye-opening. We're all in this together, folks. Let's forget about perfect and learn how to weave our fitness goals into our lifestyle. A coach can often help you do that. This is the reason that you'll see coaches and trainers hiring their own. It's not about knowledge, it's about your ability to apply that knowledge in the real world. It can be hard (or damn near impossible) to look at our own training and journey objectively. Outside accountability can be the road to success.
confessions of a fit pro. save to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
CONFESSIONS OF A FITPRO
I'll go first...my clients are going to give me $hit about this. ha.
“I sometimes run on a sore hip when I know with full confidence that I would advise a client to rest if their hip was sore.”
“I’ll admit that I really enjoy eating ice cream, pizza, burgers, etc. A good take away is even trainers and coaches are real people that like to enjoy life as well. A lot of the time we coaches and trainers are held to a ridiculously high standard. As in, we can’t have normal lives.”
“The struggle is real every month with the sugar cravings with my cycle. All sorts of fun stuff make it into my diet...Only human after all.”
“I firmly believe that anyone who claims not to love fresh bread with fresh butter (I’m talking baguettes, bagels, and brioche here people the 3 deadly Bs) is lying and should not be trusted.”
“I hate to workout but still do it 5-6 days a week and have for years.”
“I think all coaches suffer from a small case of ‘do as I say not as I do’. I’ve actually just started using my own coach to get my training and nutrition in order! I have the knowledge... but fail in my own application”
“I ❤️Donuts! More than the normal person and I have loved them longer than the donut fad we are in now. I’m on a mission to find the best donut in cities I travel to and I have a Facebook, Instagram & Twitter page dedicated to the experience. #mydonutdiaries”
“That my eating and exercise habits are terrible for myself but I’m a great listener and coach.
“The shoe maker always has the worst shoes””
“While I teach my clients to food prep and cook their healthy meals for the week, I absolutely hate doing it!”
“I don’t always get to do my workouts or work on my own goals because I’m busy working with my clients and on their programs. It is something I have to continuously work on being better.”
No one is perfect, not even your trainer. As trainers, we can be wildly successful in helping other people reach their goals and still struggle with our own. We are often just in different places on the same path. This is all positive. You want a trainer who is human, someone you can relate to, someone just like you, not a muscle-bound perfection robot who only eats broccoli and grilled chicken breast and doesn't understand why that isn't working in your life.
I assure you that as trainers most of us strive to talk the talk and walk the walk, but we are fallible too. We're all humans doing the best we can. We can be successful in reaching our goals without perfection. It takes consistency and persistence. Keep going my friend, you'll get there.
A special thank you to my trainer friends for willing to be so transparent.
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