Training etiquette
March 16, 2011 Leave a comment
About a month ago I won a free hour-long personal training session at my gym. Hallelujah! I take these less-than-frequent sessions to ask very specific questions of the trainer…about how to target certain areas where I don’t see results or to learn something new about working out. Yes, the point of these freebies is usually to loop you into buying a training package–the trainers strive to convince you that you, in fact, NEED THEM in order to workout. Not true…but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of a free session when it’s offered right?
Two weeks ago I cashed in on my prize. Having grown up playing soccer, I asked for a trainer that targeted athletes who no longer played competitively but wanted to keep up the level of fitness without the time commitment it usually entails. I was assigned a trainer named James and the next day I met him promptly at the gym.
He was so hot. Great.
Although I had worn my black spandex workout outfit instead of the soccer shorts and oversized t-shirts I usually worked out in, within minutes I would be sweaty and disgusting. But as I was determined to make the most of my session, there was nothing to do about it. He would just have to fall in love with me while I was dripping in sweat. I joke, I joke.
We began by discussing what my goals were (to tone and shave off a couple pounds) and what I already did. He suggested some exercises and I found great pleasure in telling him that I already did most of that stuff and about three times the cardio he recommended. He had to do better than that. Challenge!
The session was great. Sure, it wasn’t enough but he showed me some great new tips (keep your eyes posted on workouts for those tips to come). But best of all was he stretched me for 45 minutes after the session chatting about our lives and work and living in the city (he was from Arkansas). I started to wonder…was he interested?
Tricky, tricky. I didn’t have the balls (hehe) to ask him out, nor did I know if he was just being friendly in the hopes of snagging a new client (though I had already let it slip that I was dirt poor on an entry-level publishing salary therefore could not afford the luxury of regular training sessions). But could he ask me out if he wanted to? Was there a rule against it? What if it didn’t work out (no pun intended) and running into him every day at the gym would be awkward? I had had that experience before with another gym-goer who attempted to ask me out numerous times and each time I somehow (what skill!) managed to avoid the question. Soon I was ignoring him on purpose to avoid giving him the opportunity to try again, which turned out to be quite stressful for me since the gym is small.
I didn’t have to worry about James. Nothing happened. Shrug shrug. But we do say hi to each other when we see each other and that is good enough for me. Sometimes, in order to snap out of my self-focused intensity while I’m working out, a friendly smile does the trick.