training tonight - I don't know what hit me

[Guest guest]

Dear Vidiots:I was surprised at how fast I was able to get to the gym on Hawthorne bus 14 for my personal training session tonite from Downtown, (I've bcc'd some Portland friends, so please excuse the local lingo) which later also goes down .  I arrived almost an hour early but luckily his other client had cancelled so we started right away.

Fitness is a smaller, neighborhood gym on 56th and and it had a cozy feel to it - different from the large chain and facility I work at.  They did have a small GX room where they were practicing boxing and had all kinds of bags and speedbags, etc.  - neat!   The neighborhood is somewhat questionable, to put it politely;  the gym is across the street from a gun shop and a grafitti decorated abandoned building, topless bars abound, and these aren't the classy call girl type places.. however,  the clientele at the gym weren't like that at all. 

There were 10 lockers in the locker room and the three home like showers which had fun store bought shampoos and shower gels and soaps from the drug store as opposed to product in an unmarked dispenser, so it was kind of fun to see what showers had what in them (if you knew of my Bath and Body obsession you'll understand why I checked out each shower - I have to smell everything)..

Noel and I both were all about getting to buisness - little talk, all action.  He asked me what I wanted to do and I said " I'm in your hands, you decide " so he picked legs for my free half hour session.

As with ChaLEAN Extreme, this was a very, very intense half hour!  He made me do three sets of 10 on:Traditional Squats, the kind where the barbell rests on a rack and he spots youSome other leg machine where you stand up and push up with your shoulders but it's also pretty much a squat

Leg presses - the one where you get to lay down and push up but it's still a squatHe didn't write down or tell me how much weight I was pushing but lets just say when I left the building I almost fell down crossing the street - my legs were SPAGHETTI! 

After legs he decided to make me do shoulders - now how did he know that was my weakest and least favorite body part to work?  Three sets of 10 on two different machines for those.  There was not much of a break between sets. I was focussed on  just completing the reps that it all kind of went by in one big blur.  I didn't have much time to analyze or reflect.

That killed a half hour, then he put me on the eliptical (yawn) for 15 minutes on the highest ramp setting.  I had to up the resistance and I was the only one not holding on to the bars.  Why use the bars if you can pump your arms like you were actually running and burn more calories?  

He said he would be in touch with me on what we are going to do next - note how he speaks in the positive " we're now committed " tone. If his rates are as reasonable as he hints at on his website, I'll probably do it!  He was effective, paid attention to me and spotted me the whole time and was just.. really perfect for someone like me to train with.  At the gym where I work I see trainers staring off into space sometimes and you can tell they are bored and not really into the client who has paid a small fortune to be with them.

It was a very humbling experience, took me out of my comfort zone, everyone around me seemed more fit than me, even though I know I'm a fit person.  Everyone there was friendly to me both on the floor and in the locker room. 

Portland people:  If you go to Craigslist in men seeking women - Workout Hookups is the title, you too can probably score a free half hour with Noel!  He is married with kids, this is just his way of getting people in through free advertising, and what can I say, it worked for me!  He says he also puts the ad in men seeking men and that brings in a lot of new people too

What do you have to lose other than fat?Humbled and feeling DOMS already, 

[Guest guest]

Sounds fabulous ! I'm so glad you enjoyed him so much!!

So when will you decide if you are going to meet him again??

Darcy

On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 9:55 PM, Pink Pussycat

wrote:

>

> If his rates are as reasonable as he hints at on his website, I'll probably

> do it!  He was effective, paid attention to me and spotted me the whole time

> and was just.. really perfect for someone like me to train with.  At the gym

> where I work I see trainers staring off into space sometimes and you can

> tell they are bored and not really into the client who has paid a small

> fortune to be with them.

>

[Guest guest]

Darcy and Stacey, I think I'm going to do it once I touch base with him and find

out how much it is.

I have even worse DOMS today than I did yesterday and can barely walk. In fact

it's more like a shuffle. I can't remember the last time I was this sore. I

can't even walk at lunch, I just hope by Sunday I'll be able to teach class!

It's what I needed though, so I'm not complaining. I just hope next time it's

abs or upper body!

Swamped at work so I'm behind on everything. Hope everyone is having fun

working out! I'm jealous!

Love,

Gimpy

>

> laura,

> nice! if you can afford him--go for the training:)

> stacey

>