Why I'm Not Returning To The Gym
COVID isn’t going anywhere - it’s going to continue to mutate and spread. It’s our responsibility to mitigate the risks by doing things like getting vaccinated, masking in public spaces, eating outdoors (or getting take out) rather than indoors at restaurants, and minimizing traveling. Everyone is at a different amount of risk. Those of us lucky enough to be able to be vaccinated or have stronger immune systems need to consider the people we come into contact with who are at greater risk. For some people, returning to the gym is an acceptable risk in their life. For others, it’s not. The best thing we can do is make thoughtful and responsible decisions that minimize the harm we could do to others.
Where Does Laziness Come From?
Everyone has periods of laziness - it’s part of being human. People probably aren’t inherently lazy; there are environmental and situational factors that contribute to why we procrastinate or avoid doing “work.” If people take the time to examine why they’re being “lazy,” they’ll most likely realize the reasons behind their behavior.
Do Athletes Make Boring Clients?
In personal experience, athletes - especially hobbyist or aspiring athletes - require little in terms of unique training methods, but are demanding and impatient in their relationship expectations with their trainer(s). “General population” clients have a huge range of limitations and needs, which makes their programs more tailored and specific, giving the trainer an opportunity to learn more about a wide range of fitness options. Of course some athletes can be great and interesting to work with, and general clients can be frustrating or boring. Every person is different and it’s important that as a trainer, you are open to learning many styles and continuously improving your knowledge of health and fitness.
Developing The Delts
The deltoids are an important muscle group that work in conjunction with the back, shoulders, and pectorals. They are a small muscle group and therefore they grow more slowly. Training them is a long term goal that requires patience, strict form, and more patience. The trapezius muscles (traps) are also key in developing the delts and are also difficult to isolate and train individually. There are many excercises that help specifically build up the delts and traps, but they can also be trained during your normal lifting routine. The posterior delts are the least targeted during regular training so if you want to develop the delts, make sure you focus on this area.
Training For The Hypermobile
Hypermobility is a condition where joints are unusually loose or unstable and often presents itself in people as excessively flexible bodies with poor proprioception (the sense of knowing what space your body is taking up and what it’s doing). The risk of injury that comes with hypermobility means that clients should focus on stability rather than flexibility, avoid extreme ranges of motion, be careful with controlling movement and form, and be aware that their strength will grow slowly. Personal trainers should familiarize themselves with common conditions like hypermobility in order to best support the wide range of individualization their clientele will need.