Ghosts of Christmas Past and Navel Gazing into the Future

Every year Christmas past gets farther away from us. Buried under the tsunami of lights, decorations, and commercialism we pause long enough to survey our surroundings and find a safe space before the audio onslaught of Mariah Carey starts caroling merrily 'All I Want for Christmas is You' Tinsel, teeth and tits from the marshmallow underworld screeching in her peppermint schnapps scented breath,only pausing long enough for us to stick our heads out from under the Christmas tree to ask: " Is it gone?" Then it begins again. Oh shit the extended mix.

This Christmas like last is different. It is the extended mix for sure. We are Into the third year of this Goddamn plague and much has changed. Never mind the extremism, polarization and trying to hold on to our egg nog while we grit our teeth and wait for the plague of locusts and the rivers to turn to blood. We try to hold out for hope. Feliz fucking Navidad . "Here comes Omicron ,"Here comes Omicron, right down variant lane.." You get the picture.

What do you take with you into the future that brings comfort and helps you go on to celebrate the Holidays, maintain one's sanity and optimism in the face of the biggest health crisis of our lives? What do we hang on to for dear life that helps close out the year and ushers us hesitantly into the unknown of a new one? Today marks thirty six years since my Mother died. Right before Christmas.This Christmas seems bleak for a lot of people and it seems hard to find joy in the face of the constant escalating toll of the virus.What does one do?

My best year professionally-EVER!!!

Hang on to something. And stay the course. I find myself short tempered this Holiday, completely out of patience and resting bitch face ain't even remotely accurate. I shouldn't be I know , work is beyond amazing I had a phenomenal year professionally - my best year ever actually. A flood of work, teaching endless Kettlebell swings and chin ups... Yet the underlying sense of doom brings visions of angst ridden sugar plums dancing in my head. I did manage to get to my beloved Mexico at the end of October and hoping against hope booked for January, I don't think it's going to happen, thanks to the giant Christmas turd at the bottom of my Omicron stocking .

Dream on beach boy, Santa ain't sending you south next year...

I Recently read a theory about the role of memory and how it operates in our brains.

The gist of it was that memories don't exist after a certain point- when we ' remember' something we are actually remembering the last time we remembered it. Wrap your head around it. We are only 'remembering the last time we remembered it' The best analogy I find for that statement was in a pre internet world listening to bootleg tapes of one of my favourite singers. 3rd and 4th generation cassette copies, muffled sound but some essence of a great performance . What remains? So much lost, much held close.

Friends and acquaintances seem older now. Like a fuzzy third generation cassette their younger selves are muffled but the essence of a younger them remains. In the rush and push of daily life I'll see faces I recognize and it's a bit different. The other day I saw someone I used to work with and it took me a second- his hair was completely white. It wasn't white when I worked with him but that was ten years ago and a millisecond to the minute hand of the universe. Old Man time marches on. Memory fades people come and go. Memory. How accurate can it be in these trying times?

Those 'Remembered' memories resurface at odd times . For me the oddest was after my return from Europe in October 2019. As the winter days grew darker something crept in to illuminate the dreary days. Overwhelming thoughts of my parents and the sister I never knew. The over the top Christmases I'd had as a kid. My brisk walk to work at 630 in the often soggy mornings filled to bursting with remembered memories clinging to those echoes of my parents, visits to the Woodwards Food floor and seeing Santa and the gorgeous decorated windows, family dinners, the omnipresent soundtrack of 'The Hugo Winterhalter Christmas Magic' album serenading my parents during the holidays.

I also reflected with that seasonal melancholy on the heartbreaking death of my older sister Kathy - the sister I never knew who died tragically at 16....some years I visit her grave where she lies in repose together with my parents. That year I placed a small poinsettia on their graves during the Holidays and part of me wonders if out there in the great beyond they know..Meh, too much Navidad navel gazing Ryan. And yet the potency of those thoughts and memories predominated. Why?

It didn't all make me sad per se but it oddly brought me....Comfort. Smart enough to know how lucky I've been. it was a most curious sensation. It was almost as if my parents and sister were reminding me of the things that mattered. And maybe just maybe giving me comfort to prepare for what was to come in 2020 and what to take with me. That Christmas of 2019 was wonderful. Nothing significant happened Just the warm holiday glow of friends and family being together and ' comfort' Brace yourself. Here comes the pandmeic and the death of your older sister.

What does one do? What do you cling to that can provide a semblance of normalcy against this chaotic onslaught and chipping away of what we thought ' normal' was ?

Being grateful is a really good start. I've had an incredibly fortunate life. If I ever get into the rut of taking anything for granted I take a quick look around my living quarters at Casa Encantada 'The Temple of Ruined Glamour' and it's not so bad . There are souvenirs of how fortunate I've been. Italian, French and Spanish Exhibition catalogues from various travels. An ottoman full of imported Japanese jazz CDs. A full wine cellar.( in reality a somewhat lugubrious corner of the dining room decked out with creaking Ikea) my carefully preserved and cared for Canali suits, mocking me from the safe confines of their cedar infused closet ' You won't be wearing us this year' Sartorial sarcasm aside, Casa Encantada is that rock of well heeled stability in these ' interesting times'

I've decorated it ' To the tits' in an explosion of twinkling lights, cotton ball snow and a vaguely sinister nutcracker that freaks me out first thing in the morning as I stumble around with my coffee. Some semblance of normalcy as the world outside rages. Or at least my 'Nightmare before Christmas' normal.

So what do we leave in the past and what do we cling to to help us ' remember'? In that mental box of my memories 'much held close' is a black and white photo of my mother holding me a few hours after I'd been born. It's Jimmy Durante singing ' I'll Be Seeing You' it's a Christmas card from someone I loved very much, insignificant in its dedication, significant that they showed how much they cared to send it. It's my name carved in wood by my Fathers hands, and it's an old passport with a stamp from Mexico in 2008 where 'we' rediscovered each other. It's a kitschy old 80s song that makes you leave the mall immediately or you'll burst into tears and it's the smell of my Mother's homemade turkey stuffing and the gentle feel of my Fathers work sock stuffed with an orange, small toys, and chocolate placed on my bed by my mother in the wee hours of Christmas morning. It's finally realizing how much work went into Christmas from both my parents to show us how much they loved us, and it's a song at the right moment when you've picked up the pieces for the umpteenth time and carry on living. It's tokens of survival and mementos of those who once existed.

Some days over the Holidays I just want to curl up go back in time to being eleven years old curled up on my parents sofa smelling my Mom's cooking, and gaze at the huge Christmas tree illuminated by the blue floodlight that always gave off the sickening burning electronics smell any kid who grew up in the 70s remembers.

And other times I want to forge ahead gleefully oblivious to whatever challenges are popping up. We view the past imperfectly and perhaps or perhaps fortunately we remember the good. Living in the past is an impossibility, nor a destination I'm aiming for. Until it's Christmas.

I put that mental box of memories away tied in an imaginary red velvet bow for another year. And I hope and pray those memories remain as clear as they can through the fog of the years , hoping and praying that something, some essence of my parents and childhood remains.They are my touchstones of comfort and joy during the Holiday season and I'm taking them with me into a post pandemic world for however many more Christmases there may be.

The end of 2021 finds me older wiser bitchier, funnier, fitter, and above all else finding that looking back can be a way of moving forward. It is all one can really do.

Wisdom Experience A.K.A. I may be many things but phony isn't one of them

The only time I ever thought I'd hit 55 was on a Highway. But as sure as death and taxes my 55th Birthday happened. 50 was no big deal, but five years on this one made me much more reflective. No not in a deep profound existential crisis sort of way, more like a 'How the Hell did this happen?' sort of way.

In my brain I'm nine years old. But sometimes when I wake up in the morning my body reminds me I ain't. Training people for a living is an incredibly tough gig. It's long hours, hard physical work ,hard mental work and that's even if you aren't that good at it. So few stick around this profession , so few get to do some of the amazing things I've been fortunate enough to experience. Why anybody in their right mind would pursue this as a vocation is a mystery to me, I honestly believe one of the requirements for a successful career as a Trainer is a healthy sense of self delusion coupled with a naivete that borders on the pathological. I'm not being funny.I'm half Drill Sergeant from hell half Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard ["I am big!It's the Gyms that got small!"] Add to that the fact that this is a field populated with scam artists, self described super trainers with their heads so far up their self absorbed ass that all they can do to validate their dubious credentials is pollute social media with shirtless selfies ad nauseam , and that's just the women.

Being in this business has changed me, some for the better , some for the worse-I'd like to think I have always been tough but as I always say 'If you have to tell people you are tough you aren't' you prove it through your actions and a lot of the time it means walking away without saying anything. It is most definitely not for the faint of heart. I've been screwed more times than a hooker with a buy one get one groupon that I've lost count. And yet I continue to not just exist-I thrive. Recently I was treated with a horrifying lack of respect and had to stand my ground against someone I actually liked-Not sure if I won the battle but I will be absolutely goddamned if anyone will ever treat me like that again. But yeah odds are it probably will. It added more stress to an incredibly punishing week , but honestly 'meh' Carry on Ryan.

My significant other suggested that this year was the year we descend on Europe. They've survived the Black Plague and the Inquisition so I'm sure they can handle me. Whenever I travel the goal is to spend frivolously and not worry about being on a budget-if you have to count your simoleans while promenading down the Champs Elysee, you probably shouldn't go. I can easily afford to go but the goal is to not touch Daddys carefully maintained piggy bank. Hence that means selling myself to any reputable offer.

It's funny when you put the Universe on notice-it responds. The last few weeks have been a flurry of one on one classes, teaching you name it, I've been going through offers faster than a bulimic at an all you can eat buffet- My legendary discipline I inherited from 'Dear old Dad' has resurfaced with a vengeance akin to Godzilla burbling up in the bay of Tokyo.

Saturdays involve me rising at the ungodly hour of 530 A.M. gulping down coffee, swallowing ginseng and hitting the road for an 8 A.M. circuit class with four amazing women at a community centre. After that its a two hour teaching/knowledge course that due to response was renewed right through August. Finish that, gulp down more coffee shoot home quickly, have lunch with the significant other and head off to work a Gym shift until 10 PM. Sunday is a day of rest and if weather permits I'm collapsing at our local swimming hole and significant other has promised me a glass of wine or two with dinner. Not that anyone would believe it but Monday is my favourite day of the week. That's a day spent training a few private clients who have been with me for years, after I am done that I have a nice leisurely [my idea of leisurely? Walking straight. ahead like the guy in 'The Terminator' and pushing phone gazing asshole twenty somethings out of the way] walk of exactly 2.2. miles home and get ready to embrace Tuesday.

This past Tuesday and Wednesday were 'Hit the ground Running' days. I show up for a Gym shift at my main place of work and within about 15 minutes find out I have to teach a quick circuit class due to another Instructor being stuck in traffic. Done.I find I'm actually at my best on the fly. It went well.

Wednesday starts all over again at 530 A.M. and one on one training- jumping on our metro going across districts to train again until 730 pm at night, Then for shits and giggles after I do my own workout I decide that it's such a nice night I'll walk 2.2. miles home again. Thursday more of the same, culminating in an absolutely fantastic Athletic conditioning class at the small boutique Gym I normally train my 'privates' [Training my privates...hmmmmmmm maybe I could market it on the internet-nah!].

Here is the funny thing-yeah I'm tired, body aches etc. but what I have found being so uber disciplined is that I fell in love with training people all over again, I mean I always enjoy it but this crazy week was incredibly special for some reason, just watching the joy of people in movement, drilling down into the nitty gritty of program design and watching everything flow in a mixture of sweat, determination, and knowledge. Truth be told I'm having a blast.

No matter how many times I get kicked in the teeth, taken for granted, or just feel like I'm swimming upstream 'Contra La Corriente' as significant other puts it, I survive.This beggars the question that so many of my students and colleagues ask? 'What is the secret to long term success in this industry?'

I honestly don't know.

But if pressed I would have to say being willing to outwork everyone-I can say with absolute certainty that I can outlast anyone half my age. Sorry millenials but my schedule would FLATTEN you. You don't have the 'grit' that it takes. At least not yet.

Second- during those rough periods in my career the best advice I have ever been given in regards to when it feels like the world is against me, or at worst ignored, is to 'go learn something' I only heard that advice a year or so ago but I can tell you it's one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received in my life.

So I'm going to keep going and drag my still pert 55 year old ass forward- ever forward and be open to everything I can. Boundaries can be set, but one of the great things about being my age is I know what I'm good at, and all too well aware of my one or two flaws..[cough cough].Paris Madrid and Barcelona await,wheer I can cheerfully cross off the last item on my bucket list- laying a black rose on the grave of Salvador Dali. Don't ask. and I'm thinking climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower might be a fun one to add to a new bucket list-Hell give Daddy a ginseng and I'll just go up the front of it! Au Revoir Bitches!

The Power of Reviewing

Busy week!-enquiries regarding Training and doing my schedule for the next week.. So far I have 13 sessions booked and there are more to come..I usually cap it at 15-18 but it looks like it will be about 20 Of that probable twenty sessions, 14-15 of them are all repeat clients who train with me 2-3 times a week, and have done for several years[ yes I said'Years']...As I was checking my email I came across a message from a former student who was feeling a bit discouraged. In it she asked me 'What's the secret? It must be so easy for you...."

Good question I thought...but off the top of my shiny forehead I didn't know how to answer.So I thought about it..

"What is the secret of success in this business of Personal Training? How do you keep sharp?"

I thought about the successful Trainers I know.They mostly have a few things in common.Great personality? Check.Good skill set? Well most of the time I would hope but not always.Dedication?Check.Organization? mmmm Check.Easy? No bloody way.This is hard work

I pondered more.I know very few people who stay in this business.It can be a very tough gig at times,long hours,back breaking work and trust me this most definitely isn't for everyone.The industry is littered with stories of people who gave up after six months,never to coach a squat ever again.There are a few that stick it out a bit longer but then throw in the towel because it just gets too hard.But for the successful ones, the ones that last five or more years ..what do they do that makes them a valuable commodity? What do they do differently to ensure they not only get clients , but get repeat clients?

I've been at this for over ten years now, and it is hard work but I still love what I do.I have the distinct luxury of working in an amazing facility, but as I sit here thinking about how to encourage this wayward student I'm also wondering why in my early fifties I continue to do well and thrive at an age where most people are looking for the gold watch, and a lengthy sojourn in Florida sitting on their retired ass playing canasta.

The answer?

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!

I am constantly reviewing everything I have ever taken.I read constantly especially during my commute to work.And every Sunday[ On the Seventh Day The 'Ryan' rests] I wake up and make three cups of coffee[black no sugar or cream] and out come the books.

Last Sunday it was a review of the two NSCA TSAC conferences I attended in 2011 and 2012...brilliant resources that although aimed at First responders have some great applications to a general population. Next up was again a review of the Exos Athletes Performance Phase One and Phase Two Mentorships I took in 2011 and 2012.These materials and those programs are probably the best I have ever taken.I find that almost every other week I am going back to them. Check out their offerings:

http://TeamExos.com [ BTW I am not paid to endorse them- they are simply the best in the world that's all]

I also review and re read a lot of Dan John's material his books 'Easy Strength',Never Let Go','Intervention' and 'Now What' are essential reading for any Trainer or Coach.I also read and review a lot of Eric Cressey and Nick Tumminello- among others.I also go back to all of my NSCA study materials as well as going online and going through videos etc.Over and over again.

And that's not all..Two months ago a colleague of mine who is half my age and BRILLIANT was holding a Kettlebell swing workshop..I have taught thousands of swings in my time, coached it at all different levels.Now the workshop was excellent but it didn't really have anything in it I hadn't seen before..but what amazed me was how much of it I had forgotten.Being reminded of those things I had forgotten also helped motivate me and I like to think made me better. I would do it again.

I wrote that wayward student and did my best to encourage her, told her to hang in there and keep trying to be better today than she was yesterday..Hokey I know but.................and I also encouraged her to review,review,review.... constantly upgrade your skills and stay sharp.

SHAMELESS PLUG: April 7th and 10th is 'Practicum Refresher at Bentall through Inshape Training' If you want to sharpen your skills learn the best progressions and regressions for your clients as well as reviewing what you SHOULD be doing then come along... you can register right here..I look forward to seeing you: http://register.inshapetraining.net/personaltrainingpracticumpart2-therefresher.aspx

Personal Training Practicum-learning by doing,experience is the best teacher.................

For about six or so years I have been teaching for a great small company called 'Inshape Training' at the Bentall Athletic Club.I mostly teach the Personal Training Practicum, in addition to workshops and subbing the odd weight training class.

Teaching is enormously rewarding and I am even happier to be associated with a certification body like the CFES [Canadian Fitness Education Services] The CFES gives me the opportunity to share my ten years of experience as one of the Senior Trainers/Coaches Richmond Olympic Oval as well as various Community centres, Colleges you name it-most of whom have asked me to come and work for them.

The best thing about the CFES is the goal of giving the students the skills that will get them employed-something missing from a lot of other companies who are only interested in sucking money out of those entering this profession [and do not even get me started about 'so called' online programs.Nothing beats good old hands on experience] especially the hard won experience from those of us who have actually been in the trenches for years training people..real flesh and blood people week in and week out,year after amazing year.I've literally trained hundreds and hundreds of people, everything from Border Guards,Police Officers,Moms,Seniors, Tri Athletes and even a bronze medal winning Paralympic Athlete. ..With one eye on the future of this profession and a commitment to make this industry better than it is keeps my blood circulating and my passion high,in addition to striving to learn more myself-'The best Teacher is also the best student' comes to mind.

It might make an interesting blog post to talk about what we do in a 21 hour practicum,and give some insight on the whole process.

Each session the students are given a scenario,it contains all of the assessments etc. to get someone started.This is our starting point. Day one in our Practicum the students sit down in a group and after getting them to give a brief intro on why they want to be a Trainer we get down to business... and it all starts with one simple question I pose......

"What is the first thing we want to do with this client?"

There is always a pause and then one brave student takes the bait, blurting out:

" A warm up on the elliptical!"

Me: " Er ..no...not what I'm after here.."

Another student chimes in with :" Jumping jacks!"

Again I shake my bald forehead no.

The students look more confused and then sometimes someone gets it..

" Uhhh you...talk to them first..Maybe?"

BINGO!!! Now the ball is rolling.And now the doors have opened and hopefully so have the minds...one of the concepts I stress is the value of empathy and how the psychological aspects of training an individual is the most important thing I can leave them with. Getting to know the goals and indeed the hopes of those who have chosen you as a trainer is the key to getting to where you need to go.

Taking the the CFES educational materials as our jumping off point we explore the various ways we can further our understanding of what the 'best practices' for this particular individual will be. The fun part for me as an educator is watching the students eyes light up when they 'get' a particular concept or exercise that never occurred to them.That is precisely what it is about.You are not going to train a Post natal woman like you would train a 27 year old Tough Mudder competitor.Concepts that are stressed are cueing and communication-big things with me.I always emphasize :"Get the client to feel where their force,energy effort etc. is coming from.Don't just be a rep counter."

After a series of demonstrations,and having the students work with each other I sit the students down for the final half hour and give them career advice.For me it's the most important thing I can do.Through that I can instill the qualities of professionalism which I truly believe will carry them much further than knowing how to set up a deadlift.I talk about respect for their craft, blocking the ego to allow learning and how to always get the best in continuing education and never be afraid to spend the money, anything spent on high quality comes back to you a thousand fold.I also am notoriously realistic about the pros and cons of a career as a Trainer and how if your passion guides you then any obstacles to doing this are meaningless. I follow up with the students via e mail with links and videos and am happy to say I still hear from students I had years ago.Even better is when I can help the students get employed..I have helped many students go on to Community Centres,private Gyms or even just volunteer

Getting to dispel a lot of the myths that are so prevalent in today's wild west of the Fitness Industry matters too.With so much information available to everyone at any time of day the navigation of this profession is fraught with landmines of fake gurus,misinformation, and stuff that is downright dangerous to a novice Trainer.Through our practical hands on example I hope that we can make the path clearer for them.

Look at meeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm a Trainerrrrrrrrrr!!!

It's been an interesting month or two-challenging to say the least.Work is great and going along swimmingly but there just seems to be a generally 'odd' vibe in the air at the start of this year.Perhaps it's my general sense of malaise about the state of the industry I find myself in, or perhaps its that general air of unpleasantness that is so unique to the city I live in.But hey like I said, work is great, beyond great-focus on the positives.

I work in an incredibly fulfilling yet fraught with 'challenges' industry...in many ways it is the 'Wild West' Being a Personal Trainer and Coach is a career with a short shelf life, usually do to the fact that most people never last more than a year or two in it. Here I am in my early fifties, been doing this for ten years give or take, and by all accounts successful. I am very grateful for that. It is a very rewarding career. I do have concerns about getting old, but as it stands right now, I am in the very enviable position of being able to turn work away. Once again I try to practice gratitude.

Perhaps its my advancing years, and age doesn't necessarily convey wisdom but with the explosion of social media something I've noticed is a curious kind of angle to my profession, no not the evil old group fitness ladies who as part of their satanic religion worship bosu balls in a forest at midnight, or the juiced up roid monkey's who saunter into a gym reeking of B.O. and axe body spray and glare at you if you say 'Hi'..I'm talking about something that's so endemic to our industry- the utterly oblivious narcissist

I get a lot of people adding me to Facebook largely because of where I work. In the past I'd simply add them , give them their due as another professional wanting to network and hopefully maybe interact once or twice in passing: "Hi How Are you?

It didn't quite work that way.The few times I'd see some [ not all] of these people at an industry event, more than once they would look at me like I was a piece of shit on their shoe.Look I am not trying to be their best friend or share warm spit with them , just trying to be pleasant. I deleted most of them.I can't believe these people are in a service industry-dealing with people.

Here is where I scratch my head... and this has happened numerous times.I have someone on my FB page whom I've never met. Not once that I recall. They added me. They seem very qualified etc. although even on FB we have never interacted at all. Never got Birthday wishes, no 'likes' as far as I can tell. Nothing. Apparently they are a very qualified professional, do well etc. so ..OK then. But I thought maybe I'd delete them as I don't know them. I decided to do a bit of creeping on their posts.

And then it hit me. As I scrolled through post after post from this individual , all I saw was: "I'm teaching this!" "Wow so excited about going to this".. "Photographs of me for this video" etc. Not once was there a single post about a client achieving their goals. Not once in any of the posts I saw. There were however photo after photo of this person. I said it out loud:

"Do they actually even have any clients?"

And I see it again and again. In my previous post I mentioned why I left a facility- the Trainer at the centre of that storm that triggered that letter about sleeping on the job and checked out their FB profile...and what did I see? yep the exact same thing I mentioned. "Me hitting my PR", 'Look at me doing a heavy workout" look at my friends and me at this event." Same thing . Not one mention of how a client was able to hit their PR...All of this oblivious narcissism is like a party in a ballroom where a warped record is played over and over again, but no one can hear because they are all busy taking selfies.The cycle is endless and the industry promotes it...

Contrast that with an amazing guy I know. Worked at my current facility for a while. This guy was very quiet ,very easy to get along with until the day I was walking through the Gym and he was walking behind me.. ON HIS HANDS. It was hilarious. We have been friends ever since . Great personality and as smart as a whip... he left to open up his own Gym, and of course publicized the hell out of it on Facebook, but again as he should.....I get regular posts and updates from him. And it dawned on me.. almost every single post he has done features clients. With encouraging messages. The focus is on his clients. I wish him continued success. Oh and yeah he just expanded his Gym, I'm guessing due to the demand. He deserves it. Contrast this with the Narcissist I mentioned previously.. which one will still be doing this in five years? Maybe? Maybe not.

The uniqueness of my profession is that it attracts these oblivious narcissists and rewards them. They get high off of being seen 'Fitnessing'. All of its ego driven. If you combine monstrous egos and a low barrier to entry it's a perfect storm of well.....'Clash of the Douchebag narcissists' [I'd like to see them make a movie with that title]..I'm a shameless self promoter, and yeah to an extent you have to be..... but I've always felt that if you put your clients first and foremost , all of the magical stuff you have wished and hoped and worked your ass off for will take care of itself. And yet if you tried to explain it to these self obsessed sociopaths you'd get a cold blank stare and defensiveness.

It's enough to make you heave.

Pursuing excellence,not lowering standards and Integrity-'Adventures in Training'

Been doing a lot of thinking of late.Which is code for 'increasingly cranky in my dotage' Not so unusual, I think way too much at the best of times, but of late I have been Thinking a lot about integrity. About standards. About pursuing excellence....About what I will tolerate and be associated with and what I won't.

Everything is great-yes seriously. Steady flow of clients, lots of teaching and I hope the respect of my colleagues and students. Just lectured at a College, and more teaching opportunities are opening up.Grateful indeed.

I'm getting better at practicing gratitude. I also am proud of being associated with the NSCA, Exos etc. and that I work in arguably what is one of the best facilities in the world with incredibly high standards. It's not always easy, but even with ups and downs I wouldn't trade it for the world. And yeah I occasionally think about retirement.

The point of this current post is to detail one of those experiences that made me sit up and take notice of 'What not to do'.

Last year or so a younger colleague of mine [ who is like a son to me] encouraged me to come work with him at a non profit 'Health and Wellness' Facility. Muttered something about 'raising standards'. I didn't really need the work, but this Facility was closer to home , easy to get to and what I thought was a chance to maybe build a clientele with less commute time.

On the surface it was an incredibly well run Facility, clean ,organized and when I started, the best job any company has ever done on promoting me that I have ever seen. Everytime I took a whizz there was my beaming bald forehead staring back at me right over the urinal. I was everywhere.I liked the members ,the Front Desk staff were great.So far so good.

The other Trainers with one or two exceptions weren't the friendliest lot, but hey I don't care, I still went out of my way to smile and greet them. Sometimes they would grunt at me or give me a surly nod, mostly they ignored me.

What was common with this particular facility , like all Non Profits you would have to as part of your employment volunteer to teach classes. Hmmmm not crazy about that but to get things off the ground I did..it was a great deal of fun and from what I was told I doubled the class sizes in the first month..."It will give you exposure" they said.I did get a lot interaction with members and thats the part of what I do that I love-meeting people and I hope inspiring them..I got a few clients .. and all of them turned into repeat clientele.Still it wasn't a lot.

I couldn't quite figure this out...it didn't look a lot like any of the other Trainers were doing a lot of business either..I began to observe. Good God.I did not see a single squat, hip hinge, or pushup. No cueing. NOT ONCE. But lots of bosu balls, random running around weird kind of shitty choreographed things that might resemble corrective exercises if we were on a different planet. But hey, I only worry about what I can do. Those clients hired them and not me.

I eventually did get to exchange some polite conversation with another Trainer.He was a nice guy in that slightly 'Forrest Gump' box of chocolates way....I took a chance and asked him what he did for continuing education..[I already knew the answer] He looked at me kind of puzzled.."Oh I just take the quizzes in the e mail updates every four months.." ahhhhhhh ok. Although I saw it coming I ventured to ask if he ever went to any 'live seminars'. Yep, just as I thought. Attitudes like that are a fundamental problem in our industry, the frustrating point of it is to explain it to someone like that is an exercise in futility. They don't know the difference.

A further clue was revealed one morning when I saw one of the Trainers I'd never met come sauntering in-he was unshaven huge cup of coffee in hand ,cell phone in the other, greet his client told them what to do and how many reps and sat down propped up against a pillar and began checking his phone messages and occasionally glancing at his client.....I was dumbfounded. That's not Training....That's a grotesque sense of entitlement, and the utter arrogance and lack of respect set my fangs on edge.

But the real kicker came when 'Forrest Gump' and I and I were in one of the Group studios training as it was empty...doing our thing.. and in walked an older lady maybe late fifties early sixties, long black leotard and an absolutely miserable look on her face..kind of like a Satanic Marcel Marceau [ wiki it kids]..That's right it was the Pilates instructor from Hell. Here to set up for HER Pilates class. She didn't say a word, hello or nod , she simply walked to where my colleague had been training , picked up the bands, mat etc. AND THREW IT ACROSS THE ROOM!!!!!

Yep.Are you effing kidding me?

Listen to me very carefully here. This was one of the managers . This was the first time I was meeting her. This was the very first impression I get of her. Let that sink in for a minute. No hello, no 'Hi' I am so and so.. nothing.I was directly in the path of her Tsunami of misery, and no lifeline forthcoming.I'd also like to add this was done IN FRONT OF CLIENTS...think about the terrible message that sends.

That has bugged me ever since. She didn't introduce herself say 'kiss my ass' or anything. Look maybe she was having a bad day, maybe her army of winged monkeys crapped on her carpet, but the point is you don't bring that to your job. And if you see a new employee you go out of your way to introduce yourself.Pleasantly

That's when it dawned on me...that douche nozzle propped up against the pillar while he was 'training'. The Trainer who ran his client around the gym and up and down the stairs 'Because she needed cardio'. The satanic mime Pilates instructor/Manager. The arrogant Russian trainer who had her clients on top of a bosu ball doing kickbacks and was yelling at them Hmmm.Standards.Integrity.All these terrible Trainers, maybe I have a chance to stand out.I kept saying 'This doesn't affect me'

And then it dawned on me.The problem wasn't the Trainers per se, it was the clients-The clients and members didn't know any better because they had no concept of what to expect!

And here am I an NSCA Certified Trainer,I have been trained by the company that trained the German World Cup team fer Chrissakes! They even profiled me. I'm currently training bronze medal winning Paralympian, run a Tactical Strength and conditioning program for Law Enforcement, lecture at Colleges..and I can scream until I am blue in the face and no one will hear because none of the members or clients in this facility knows the difference, because they have had to endure this absolute garbage for so long. They don't know quality or value because no one has shown them what they should expect as consumers..

To counteract that I proposed a member clinic as some of the other Trainers had done, and had to sit down with this all too typical miserable Pilates emissary of Satan and her manner to me was.. beyond condescending. She'd never heard of the NSCA, Exos or any reputable company at all. It was like talking to a wall. She was so miserable I realized I had already lost the battle in trying to improve standards as long as this pitbull [without the sunny disposition] was in a position of power..I was wasting my time. I tried to be professional. My member clinic "Designing the Perfect Workout" had a Huge response, 22 people registered where normally they only get 6-7 The members loved it and wanted another one. I was told 'No'. I was given reasons etc. but I couldn't help but feel they weren't interested in providing service as they were more about being miserable. Again another missed opportunity to 'Raise the bar' and maybe just maybe plant the seed of something better in an otherwise well run place.It was a missing link and I so desperately wanted to try to 'fix' it

Final straw came when another manager sent out an e mail to the Trainers and I quote part of it here:

"At this time, we’d like to ask you to help us present a professional image at all times. Over the last couple of months there have been observations made that our quality standards are lacking at times. We making an effort to improve in all areas. Here’s what we know about successful trainers

· Their training attire is professional. They are dressed for work. Clean, neat, tidy, etc. – you get the picture

· They are focused on their client at all times – conversations are centered around the client

· They make sure their clients can focus on their reps – if the client can carry on a conversation while they’re exercising – are they really focusing or being challenged?

· Even when not training a client the trainer are presenting themselves in a professional manner. Eyes are on you at all times while in the facility and future clients could be noticing how you present yourself.

· They understand their image and the way they present themselves is very important. They are a walking advertisement of their business.

With training fees as high a $75 hour, it is of upmost importance that we all preserve the integrity of personal training and its value.

Specifically - Sleeping/sprawling/ in the member’s stretch area and around the facility is not permitted. Drinking/eating while training (or on the 3rd floor) is not permitted. Professional attire is required.

Thanks for your attention and cooperation."

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME MY JAW DROPPED OPEN. Sleeping in your place of work? On my planet that's an automatic dismissal. And yet by sending out this toothless letter they are actually condoning it. It shouldn't even have to be said. I should have cancelled my contract then and there. Seriously? You have to send a letter because these idiots don't know better? Newsflash Honey the lunatics are running this asylum, you have already shown you won't do anything....But still there may be a chance to help.. I took a chance and wrote this particular manager, I applauded her for finally trying to do something about this, and told her that I was willing to provide some feedback if she wanted to hear it. Look I'm a 'solutions' guy.. I don't have a lot of use for people who obsess about chronic problems and don't do anything about it.. Lets cut to the chase ,come up with an idea and put things into practice. Above all else , let's not waste time. She wrote me back and said "Great! Let's set up a meeting, we want to be better etc." Now in fairness I liked this person and yeah I do get that she was probably busy. But in terms of priorities and looking at building a better platform to increase revenues wouldn't trying to fix a glaring 'staring at you in the face' problem be the best course of action? Apparently not.

Never heard another word. And that silence told me that not only did they not care about their facility they also had absolutely no respect for me, nothing I could do would counteract the institutional paralysis and dysfunction. That did it. Told them I wouldn't renew my contract.[ my colleague? He just sighed and shrugged. I took him out for lunch because he felt bad. he remains a close friend. Still give him training advice. He deserves better]

And to add insult to injury-a really nice manager who worked with my colleague at least had the class to send me an email saying how sorry she was I wasn't renewing my contract-and that it was a terrific loss. I liked her a lot , and I won't soon forget how classy she was. Aside from my colleague she was the only one to do so. Not a single one of the others even bothered to ask. Why are we losing such a qualified employee? What can we learn from our failure to keep qualified Trainers?.. They didn't care.And that is disgraceful.. and disrespectful. Rot doesn't come from within , it comes from the top and flows down.

I guess this all makes me sound a bit bitter about the whole experience..and I'd agree..But only a tiny bit..... way too many awesome thigs happening in my career to stew over this..I see it more as a learning experience , or e.g. 'experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted'Thats because I really do care about impacting the lives of others.I care about being as professional as I can.I love what I do every single day and when I am in a work environment? I only have 'good days and great days'

Standards. Quality. Integrity.E verytime I set foot in that facility [to me at least] my professional standing goes down. Everytime someone of my background and experience offers a constructive approach to building things up and it falls on deaf ears, my professional standing goes down. Well your standards can go right down the toilet but I won't go with you. Standards. Integrity. And then the words I tell my students come back to haunt me when I give them the three pieces of advice for their career and this one is #3-

"never work for second or third rate organizations or people. It will lower your brand,cheapen your efforts, and drag you down with it."

Practice what I preach. And that will guide me for the rest of my professional life. Nobody noticed I left. And that is the cruelest wake up call of all.

Enforcing habits,constant learning and letting the little things take care of themselves

Its been an interesting few months. A very good few months come to think of it, I can never remember a time in my life where I have been busier more in demand, or enjoying what I do more. And yeah I'm tired, being a workaholic is a genetic trait I picked up from Mom and Dad God rest them. At the age of 52 everything is pretty sublime. Lots of work, happy relationship, so many close friends I can't even begin to count them, professional respect.And learning.Just did another online Exos course[and again first rate] No complaints...

I guess this is kind of a rant of sorts-and again like I say things are going swimmingly. The good? Well a place that had been after me for about six months to go and work at part time is paying off. It is a first rate run organization the job on promoting me when I got there was absolutely outstanding. More on that later

The not so good- another place[Told you I was busy] and city run again asked me to come work for them part time. OK, close to home nice facility.. So far so good , but unfortunately had the charming habit of paying me 'when they got around to it'.. if it was a private place it still wouldn't have been acceptable but it would have been understandable .No this was a community centre Gym...after a few months there it became apparent that they had no interest in any of the programs I wanted to run , Trainers talks, and they didn't even put my bio up on the official site. Frankly nobody gave a shit- with the exception of me. The kicker is when I told them 'no more' nobody batted an eyelid...and yes I am owed a few hours which I will never get. Disgraceful.

It's interesting how much things can change when people actually care. The first facility[ and BTW this is on top of my regular job at probably one of the best facilities around] which is private is so incredibly well run. Clean, efficient and really together and pays me immediately. I got the job through a colleague of mine who had asked me for about six months to come and work for them...something told me there was an ulterior motive. There was. Oh my God the Trainers there are .....well terrible. My colleague, when I mentioned it shook his head and sighed. "I know. That's why I wanted you to come here" Now generally I only worry about what I do , but as great as the facility is.. oh Dear God.. Bosu Ball squats, bands, run up and down the stairs for no reason. None of the ones I have seen have a clue. No I haven't said anything because if their clients hire them and not me well , none of my biz..I have not seen a single Trainer there teach anyone a squat,hip hinge or pushup.NOT ONCE

But it reinforces something I have said all along, we need to educate consumers about what they should expect when they hire a trainer....Bemusedly I have put together a list for consumers...

1] Only hire an ACSM or NSCA Trainer. This is a cut above. ACE might be OK, NASM is iffy.

2] Have they left Canada to go to a seminar in the United States?[ Trust me on this] If they never have proceed with extreme caution.

3] Were you screened? ACSM Risk Stratification, Functional Movement Screen, New Zealand Movement Competency Screen? If all you do is show up and run around in circles with no assessment , please get your money back.

4] Do they talk on their cell phone when Training YOU? Fire their sorry ass IMMEDIATELY.

5] Do you have a file with notes detailing your progress and weekly workouts?

6]Do they check in on you after a session?

That's just a beginning list.I'm working on a list of what you should expect from a session... Stay tuned