Chapter 1, Scope of the Personal Trainer

Direct Quote from Chapter 1 of the manual "Understanding the ACE-certified Personal Trainer’s scope of practice can be empowering, as it defines a unique profession dedicated to helping people improve their fitness, health, and quality of life through physical activity. Many of the professions in healthcare are devoted to treating disease, while a personal trainer primarily helps people avoid disease. In a society where almost two-thirds of the adult population is overweight and physically inactive, and youth are projected to possibly live shorter lives than their parents, the role that ACE-certified Personal Trainers play in the healthcare continuum has never been more important."

ACEFitness Cert

Woo Hoo, I am so excited. I have been considering this again for the longest time, but I just enrolled with ACE Fitness to complete my Certification as Personal Trainer. For those that know me, this was my goal before buying the Curves Franchise and I had been working towards it. Owning and managing the business had put that dream on hold for a bit, however, I can only imagine how much more capable I will be of helping our ladies get healthy, fit and strong with all of this information at our fingertips. It seems no matter what I do, I keep coming back to this. So once again I am reaching to achieve another goal. Ya know, when you keep coming back to something I think it is probably God's way of letting us know we are supposed to be doing it. So, within the next year or so, my signature line should read Health and Happiness, Peggi Curves Owner/Manager ACE Fitness, CPT —

Random thoughts

I could wake up at 4:30 Mon, Tues and Thursday and get my workout in before work. those days I don't get one in, its too busy once I get to the club. If I want to change my body, I need to change my habits. I could keep studying my ACE book and then when ready, maybe come fall, pay for the class and be that much further ahead. I really want that certification and think I like the ACE better than the NCSF. However, I have both books, just not the time to read and study. Need to make that a priority also. Need more time to work with the business too, we have had so many changes lately and I keep trying to learn all that but its taking away from building the membership and the contact with the members. Hmm, these all fit into my top goals. Maybe I better get back to work on the push challenge.

Time

I really need to quit killing time and surfing the web at night. I should be studying. I really want that Certification as Personal Trainer. I could be using this time at night to read and learn and make plans to take that test. I have accomplished two goals for the club. I ordered the stepper today and the Curves Smart is coming from a closing club next month. These were two goals ever since I bought the club. Certified Personal Trainer should be the next goal to knock off, think of what an impact that would make. Think of being able to advertise that and what all i could do with it. Today, when Clark dropped off my car he made that comment that he works with a personal trainer..and yesterday when Dana quit and we talked I could have said I am a Personal Trainer, it would hold weight. Okay, getting off here and studying a bit.

Decision

I have made a decision. I have decided that yes, even though I now own Curves, I do still want to be Certified Personal Trainer. I have been so back and forth on this for the past two years. To study or not to study? To find the time or not? To make the time or not? A goal or not? I think I have finally decided that yes, this is what I want to do. I had been considering just studying the nutrition part, which is the biggie for the ladies at the club, however, why not just do it? So, here is my plan. To continue to study my training material, to do the work, the video's the labs, the study guide in order and then to watch for a 3 day workshop somewhere in the area in relatively close location, not in the winter. And to get registered for it. I AM going to do this!

NCSF

Reregistered for the NCSF site again today. I am finally feeling confident with the work I needed to do for Curves to be able to study for my CPT again. I really do want to finish this although it has been on hold for over 2 years now. I want this certification and it would help me help the ladies at the club, plus give more credibility to what I do. I am going for it. Now with the additional staff at the club also, I do have a bit more free time so it won't be as hard to find the time.

Curves

It is so hard to believe that we are coming up on 5 years since the scary night when I had that first heart attack, was home alone, and didn't have a clue what was happening. It sure didn't act like a heart attack, all full of anxiety, vomiting, pacing, sweating etc. When it happened the second time, just 3 short months later, we had a better idea of what had happened but still no clue why. thank God for Dr. Follansbee in Pittsburgh. Without him I truly would not be here today. All of the doctors there were wonderful, but he truly is the one I credit with finding the cause, and saving my life.

I have often wondered through those years why I was saved? Twice? Being life flighted to a major hospital is something most people never go through once, yet I did it twice. I truly have believed in the years since then that there is something I am meant to do. I believe in the past year, I have found that purpose. I am studying Fitness and Nutrition and taking a course to be certified as personal trainer. My goal is to help people get healthy. What better way to thank God and the doctors for giving me back my life.

Now, I maybe have a new dream to tie into that. Last night I heard a rumor that our local Curves is up for sale. I know the lady who owns it. I am planning on calling her today to find out some information on this. I am so excited and am trying not to be until I learn more about it. Its funny though, years ago when she bought it I had wished I had known it was up for sale. the way I found out about it now is totally ironic. I had called Monday to make a hair appt. I always go on Wed but she could get me in Tuesday night after work. I never go Tuesday night but it worked out well for me. When I got there friends of mine were there that I have not seen in years. We talk on line and when she mentioned Curves up for sale, I was ecstatic! Now to find out some info. What is meant to be is meant to be. I know that. Wish me luck.

Your health

He who cures a disease may be the skillfullest, but he that prevents it is the safest physician.

- Thomas Fuller, British clergyman and author

Are you paying attention to your health?

If you want to be around to enjoy your growing family, it's never too late to start taking care of your body. Whether or not "skillfullest" is a word, Thomas knows the value of prevention versus treatment. You have a better chance of survival by using the doctor that keeps you out of the hospital in the first place. Why wait for symptoms to show up before you start paying attention? By then, it may be too late. Remember the major goals and the people that you're living for. Are you really willing to risk missing out because you didn't take precautions? You'd be amazed at how some basic, simple everyday nutrition and fitness choices and actions make a big difference in staying on your feet. Injuries and disease are a steep price to pay when many can easily be avoided.

This was from an email I received from Sparkpeople. I am working towards my certificationas Personal Trainer. I will actually receive two certs. One from Penn Foster In Scranton, Pa as fitness and nutrition expert and one from the NCSF, National Council on Strength and Fitness. Hopefully, I should have this accomplished come spring of 2010

You can probably expect to see many more articles on Health and Fitness to follow. I am trying to learn and by sharing it and typing info here I am hoping to get it through my thick skull. LOL

agonist? antagonist?

OMG, I am having a rough time with the class on Flexibility. It talks about agonist and antagonist muscles. I have read it, reread it, looked up the words, read it again and may still call and talk to my instructor on this one. I understand it has something to do with the muscles working in conjunction with each other, example would be the hamstrings and the quads. One is agonist one is antagonist. Yikes. It apparently has to do with the stretch being done and the agonist muscle can become the antagonist muscle depending on the stretch. Okay, maybe if I read it once or twice more I'll have it. Not quite ready to move on yet, however, maybe if I do and come back to it I'll understand it?? This is one of those times when I wish I was sitting in a classroom learning this stuff.

Still running

Did some running on the treadmill today, it felt wonderful. Used the gymboss, check it out here. www.gymboss.com Set it for 2 minutes walk/ 1 minute run and did that for about a half hour, it felt wonderful. Walk was at 3.3 mph and run was at 5 mph, I liked running on the tread and will keep that up for the rest of the fall and winter. Got some recording done for my class. Some of you may know that I am trying to record my class books so that I can listen to them while doing other things. I am behind on it, but recorded sections on Protein and different diet plans today. Quite interesting reading about the Dash, Ornish, South Beach diets etc. I found it quite interesting to learn about the role protein plays in our body systems. I usually do have a bit of a problem keeping my protein levels in range, its one thing I do watch closely. We are not big meat eaters and I eat a lot of complex carbs. They really don't recommend protein powder drinks but yet I do use them at times. Like today after workout when I just needed something. Had a chocolate protein drink after my fruit and yogurt. Still need to get my pushup, situps, squat challenge done today. I have been doing that for weeks now and have recently incorporated intervals of cardio on the bike or eliptical in between. I am loving it. I have a new interest also, would really like to be a WATP Walk Leader and may take the class for that when I am done with my certification.

Personal Trainer News

Ok, did I tell any of you that I was about half way through my class? If I did forget it. I must have been nuts. I was under the assumption that I was halfway through until the other day. In the mail came my last packet of books. Or what I had thought would be my last set of books. However, come to find out and I really should have realised this, what I had been taking up to this point was for the certification in fitness and nutrition and really has nothing to do with the certification for Personal Trainer. The last packet of books I just received is huge, 3 big books, and 2 dvd's. this last packet is what I need to learn to pass the test for Certification. All that has gone before will surely help but this last set puts it down to the wire. I haven't started it yet, I am still finishing up the rest of the other classes. Once I finish the rest of the fitness and nutrition, then I do the Personal Trainer Course, then go away for the final test. I still have to May to finish. Going to need it I believe. I am really enjoying it though.

Excited

I'm excited. My last class for the Personal Trainer course I am taking was mailed out the other day, it should be getting here Monday or Tuesday. I am not ready to take the last class yet. I am only about a half way through the entire course but I am so anxious to see this last set get here, it includes the studies for the NCSF test. I've bought a few books recently to use for reference and they have been a big help along with the one Nikki gave me. I'm learning so many different things and at my age it is hard to keep all this in my head, so its good to keep refreshing my mind on these things. Recording it does help and when I hear something I am not sure about I can stop and look it up again and again, so it keeps it in my mind a bit longer. Some of these books are good for that because they are all worded a bit differently. I hit paydirt with a few health books. The church next door had a yard sale over Labor Day and I got like 5 books for a few dollars. Thursday I stopped at the book store and they had a few on clearance, I bought 3 for $16. One of them has different workouts in it. One has alot of info from Leslie Sansone and the other is "How the body works." Who would ever have known I would be so into all this health and fitness years ago?

I am really working on cutting out the wheat products from my diet, or at least reducing it quite a bit. I still believe its a big part of the problem with my gut, so am back to watching the intake of that.

Fall is here in Pa, and my workouts have changed. From being outside and all the walking and running I am back into the eliptical, treadmill and dvd's a bit. Yesterday I did intervals on the eliptical, I forgot what a workout that thing is. Wed I did a Leslie Sansone watp dvd with weights and had to use the 4 pounds, couldn't do the whole thing with 5 pounds. Funny how different things work different muscles. With the fall here and winter coming I am really stepping this up and hoping to see spring bring forth the abs. I miss the beach and am hoping we got to go again next year sometime. Here is a sunrise on the beach picture. Isn't it beautiful.

100 PUSHUPS CHALLENGE

I found this site on line the other day and was quite taken with the idea. I knew I was going to participate in this challenge along with the 200 squats and 200 situps, but wasn't sure what day I would get started. Today was the day. I did Day 1 of the pushups, squats and situps challenge. I am so pumped about this. Check out this link. http://hundredpushups.com/index.html

With studying to be Certified Personal Trainer I don't believe I can ask people to do these things without doing them myself. How can I help someone get more fit if I haven't done it first? This can be a really good challenge for me to use with clients down the road. I am really thinking I would like to specialise with people a bit older. Not the youngsters but a bit older who really need help learning to eat and exercise correctly. Not that I wouldn't help the younger generation but I think I could be more beneficial to the older population who doesn't want to compete with a bunch of young kids. They may feel more comfortable with someone of my age.

I, of course, also got in 45 minutes of cardio. Today was an easy day, just walking, no jogging. 10 times around the track at the school.

Kids go back to school tomorrow here in our area by the way.

hopeful

We are hoping that the rain holds off tomorrow. We have plans to add more rocks to the pond and to work out in the yard. My day will start with a jog around the track if it isn't raining while John runs to town for rocks and a few things at the store. I am so lucky that he does the grocery shopping.

It has been such a cool, wet spring and next week my son will be home. The weather is never nice when he is here. I don't think it has been nice ever when he comes home. Although last summer may not have been to bad. The way the weather has been this year it could snow with him here next week.

I'm off to study a bit, right now I am learning about the endocrine system. this one is very interesting to me considering my sickness 4 years ago was due to a tumor on the adrenal gland. Some of this stuff is rough. I wish I would have done this years ago when maybe my brain remembered better. Next is the circulatory system. Still I am enjoying the learning process and do think its very helpful for me. I have found that reading before bed helps it stick with me and also talking to John about what I have read the next day helps to keep it real for me. I doubt that I will have it done in 15 months though, it is taking me longer than I thought to get through any of the classes. I seem to read and reread each book. This would be so much quicker if I didn't work full time. However, at this point I am just glad to have a job.

I've talked to some old friends lately, Karen, Rosalie, Mary, etc. Avon friends and boy, it makes me realise how much I miss Avon, and all of those wonderful women. I really enjoyed the years where I sold Avon and that was my job and I was the boss! Oh well, life changes, time goes on.

Feeling stupid

Ok, well I am feeling stupid right about now. Just went on line to take my Medical Terminology test and half the questions I didn't even remember reading about, went to the site to check and I am supposed to read the next book, Exercise Science Terminology also before that test.

In my defense this is the first time the test has been on two books, in the past it has been read a study unit take the test. Not always I see. I get to read more before testing. This one looks more interesting.

Plans

I slept in this morning and it felt wonderful. Its a day off and for about the past week or so I can't seem to catch up on sleep. Have just been tired, which is so unlike me. I have even gone to bed before the end of my favorite tv shows. I know that I have missed my exercise this week. So today that is my plan, both weights and cardio and hope it picks me back up.

Also, I think I have spent enough time on the Medical Terminology book and plan on doing the test for that one soon. I am sure that I will come back to that book time and again, the class says that one is the most read and hardest to learn, so it makes sense. It also says that it gets easier the more we learn because we will actually learn the use of those words as we go. At any rate I am ready to move on the next one which is Fitness Anatomy and Physiology 1. It should be interesting.

Sometime today I may get outside, the sun is shining and looks beautiful although its really not all that warm. Hopefully sometime soon it will be warm.

New Books

My next four study units arrived finally yesterday, wow, does this first one ever look tough. They are Medical Terminology, Excerise Science Terminology, Fitness Anatomy and physiology 1 and 2. Should keep me busy a while.

For Medical Terminology they recommend a lot of memorizing. There are 7 different sections just full of prefixes, suffixes, roots, and other things to memorize. They said this is the book we will keep coming back to. I am making flash cards for each of these 7 sections. This unit is going to take a while but looks fascinating, it starts getting into the body parts, systems, etc. Looks fascinating, but I sure didn't realise this class would include so much detail on some of this. I have been taking a test every few days but this one is going to take a bit longer I think. Even the book says this one you will probably go through 4 or 5 times before getting it all.

4 years ago today I was lifeflighted to Pittsburgh with my first heart attack, at that time though we didn't know what was wrong, didn't know until about 5 months later. That began my fascination with the health and fitness information that has carried over to this point.

Darn it all

Darn it all, I missed a question on my second test tonight. Received a grade of 95%, darn it all. They give the number of the question that I missed but doesn't say what the question was, they give a page to review which I did but I don't remember how I answered or what the correct answer was. I EMAILED them and hope they reply back. Would like to know what I replied and what is correct.
My next module isn't here yet, but I can start the next mod on line. It looks quite detailed. this one is going to be on Medical Terminology. Wish me luck! think I may need it.

Joel Osteen

This is a direct quote from a newsletter written by Joel Osteen, I get the news letter daily in my email and I enjoy reading his writings. This one gives me reason to think.

"When God puts a dream in your heart, when He puts a promise on the inside, He deposits within you everything you need to accomplish that dream. He wouldn't give you the desire to do something without giving you the ability to fulfill it. In fact, the scripture tells us that God gives us the desires of our heart. In other words, He puts the desire inside of us and then works with us to bring it to pass. Oftentimes, people set out to accomplish their dreams, but they face a setback or disappointment, and then they feel like their time has passed. But let me tell you today, no matter where you've come from, no matter what's happened in your past, God wants to make you new. He wants to give you a "do over," a fresh start. If you feel like you've missed opportunities in your life, if you feel like your time has passed, remember, today is a new day. You are a new person, and God has new opportunities in store for you. If one dream has died, it's time to dream a new dream."

I have often, through the past years, wondered why I was spared almost 4 years ago when I was so sick and lifeflighted twice in amatter of months with two heart attacks. I keep thinking there is some reason why I am still here, something I am supposed to be doing. I was very interested in health and fitness thereafter and at one point looked into a business college for classes as a medical assistant. With needing to work, however, that wasn't really an option. I've read and learned alot on my own about health and fitness through those years and now here I am, taking a course on fitness and nutrition with the dream to be a certified personal trainer and helping people. I finally feel like I know what I am supposed to be doing. And after reading these words from Joel Osteen I know I can do it. I find it ironic that this email came from him today, after taking my very first test last night.

100

Just took my first test, must admit that it was a very easy one, but I did read that book once after reading the unit on line once. I received a 100% and do hope to continue doing that well. Think I am going to read a bit of the next one before heading into bed. Its getting late