Paying It Forward

In 2004 my first real boss said to me, “you’re always arguing with the trainers; why don’t you become one?” I have to thank him for that. The impact he had is profound, even to this day.

Right away that day, I obtained this cutting edge study material, CD-roms, which I sense some young IGers won’t recognize any more than a tape deck or rotary phone. I also unearthed some of my initial books yesterday for a client of mine who is embarking on the journey of becoming a certified personal trainer as next career/next chapter of life.

Before I handed them over, I perused these materials, and rediscovered how robust they were. At the time I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate the sections on behavioral change, making the clear distinction between process goals and product goals as one example. Over 15 years ago, I was so intent on the science, the mechanisms, the biology and physiology, that I missed some of the most pertinent pieces of coaching: mindset, emotional readiness, psychological resistance, victim narratives, and more. 

As critical as I’ve been of NASM or Bally’s, I have to hand it to them on just how many things they did get right, just how many systems they thought through, just how much positive impact they made which can now be paid forward.