Fitness

Why It Is Normal to Hate Your PT and Other Important Fitness Facts

If you’re a newbie to health and fitness it can feel like there’s just so much to learn. To lend a sister a hand, we have revealed the top six fitness facts.

If you’re like most people, you haven’t really grown up being super savvy about your health and fitness. Sure, you know that you’re probably meant to exercise regularly and that chomping down on waffles and guzzling beer all day isn’t going to do your body much good.

But beyond that, the world of health and fitness can get a little cloudy and confusing.

So if you’re new to the whole working out/ healthy eating thing, read on. We’re going to expose our favorite fitness facts so you can feel confident within the fitness arena!

Fact #1: It’s normal to hate your PT

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Now for those who don’t know what the heck a PT is, it stands for ‘Personal Trainer’. You’ll be able to recognize one of these ethereal creatures by their scary red devil horns, freakishly toned and tight body and their blatant loathing of carbs and sugar.

They may or may not also smell like fish oil and protein.

Just saying.

Anyway, these fitness gremlins pop up when you feel like you need a little, what’s that word? Oh, motivation. And while their promises of a lean, Victoria Secret model-esque body puts stars in your eyes, the reality of their workouts leave you panting, sweating and also starry-eyed but for a completely different reason.

After all, you don’t get what you want by doing what you’ve always done, right?

Or at least that’s what they keep telling me.

In any case, there’s always going to be this mixture of loathing and longing when you engage the services of a PT. Sure, you knew that getting the body of your dreams wouldn’t be easy. But in the moment, when you’ve face planted into the mud during your 5am boot camp session, you kinda hate them.

Just a little.

Because although they have the skills and knowledge to give you what you want (and tap into your motivation), you just didn’t realize it was going to be this hard.

They don’t help their case much either, as their lack of sympathy and stoniness in the face of your ‘I can’t do it!’ complaints is both typical, expected and sadly warranted. Because you can do it. And you know it.

During a previous boxing/cardio session with my hellion PT, I threatened to puke. Literally, threatened. I felt sick, frustrated and really, really angry. So I said, rather spitefully, “I can’t do it – I’m going to puke.”

At which point my ex-ARMY PT shrugged, flicked a glance at his watch and gestured towards a shiny bin in the corner of the room. “The bin’s there.” He responded in a monotone. “Come straight back when you’re done.”

And that, my lovelies, is typical PT behavior.

They’re charming, gorgeous and so ripped you want to cry tears over their god-like six-pack, but they’re also ruthless, brutal and merciless. And right. They’re always right. Dammit.

Which is why you stick it out, slog through the workouts and put in the hard yards. Because at the end of the day if you want the body of your dreams and the health you’ve always longed for, you have to work for it.

And if you do what they say, you can have it all.

Fact 2: If you’re doing it right, you’ll get sick

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When you’re working out regularly, eating clean and taking care of your body there’s this really strange thing that happens: You get sick. You’ll be kicking butt at your PT sessions, nailing it with your nutrition and feeling all around fantastic, but out of nowhere you’ll get smacked in the face with a bug.

Now it won’t be anything too serious, probably a case of the flu or a bad cold, but you will get sick. This is because your immune system will be trying to keep up with all of the changes you’ve made with your lifestyle and may fumble the ball on a germ-killing spree one day.

You’ll probably be knocked around for a few days, but during this time just think to yourself: “Heck yeah! I must be on the right track!”

P.S. You can limit the impact as much as possible by giving your immune system a bit of a hand. Get some sunshine each day, take vitamin C, drink two litres of water, keep your hands clean and get at least eight hours sleep a night.

Fact 3: Fish oil really is the bee’s knees

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Okay, so maybe your PT was right (again) and they weren’t just going around smelling like fish oil because that’s how they roll. Rather, taking a daily fish oil supplement is one of the easiest ways you can improve your health.

Here are the facts:

  • Fish oil can improve your mood
  • Fish oil keeps your joints healthy
  • Fish oil is a potent inflammatory
  • Fish oil boosts your metabolism
  • Fish oil decreases your stress

There are stacks of other benefits, so you should really give fish oil another shot.

And while it’s always best to get nutrients direct from the source (i.e. by eating fatty fish such as salmon), you can still get some of the benefits by taking a supplement.

Fact 4: Want a nice butt? You gotta squat

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Okay, so you may have heard about the squatting phenomenon that’s going around at the moment. There are pictures floating around social media sites with toned and tight butts with the text ‘she squats’ illustrated over the top.

There are hashtags specifically developed for those who squat and there are even groups and communities dedicated to the art of squatting.

Oh, and before we get too deep into this fact, I just wanted to clarify that a squat is an exercise you do to work out your legs and butt. You stand with your feet hip distance apart and then squat down as though you were sitting down on a chair.

Give it a try now.

See, it’s not that hard! The hard part comes when you have to do three sets of 12 reps of those suckers.

Anyway, back to the point, if you have started a regimented exercise routine or have been googling fitness ideas, you probably would have come in contact with the squat. It’s PIC (partner in crime) is the lunge, which is another superhero of the awesome legs and butt world.

Now, there’s a reason these two exercises have such a great reputation: because they work.

They’re hard as hell to do and leave you feeling sore for days, but they work.

Simples, no?

Fact 5: You won’t get fat by eating fat

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In the past, there was this huge war on fat. “Don’t eat fat!” all the health ads and media proclaimed. “Fat is the leading cause of obesity!”

But with time comes wisdom and with wisdom comes the knowledge that fat isn’t the enemy. Current knowledge is pointing the finger at sugar, but hey, that’s another story.

In any case, fat is fab.

In saying that, if you like to curl up with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s every night, you’re going to get fat. Unless you have a super dooper metabolism, in which case I have a few choice words I’d like to call you.

Ben & Jerry’s will make you fat. Big, juicy hamburgers will make you fat. Cupcakes will make you fat … if, and key word ‘if’, you eat them excessively. Everything is fine in moderation, but once you push past that into excess you’re playing with fire.

Also, you should start thinking in terms of the category of fat you’re consuming. Polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and even limited amounts of saturated fat are okay to consume each day.

What you want to stick clear of is trans fat, which is the devil covered in frosting. With sprinkles on top. You’ll find trans fat in most store-bought baked goods, pastries and cakes.

Fact 6: Runner’s high and runner’s trot

For anyone lacing up their joggers and endeavoring to set out on their first jog, I have a word of warning for you first.

We’ve all heard of the wonder called a runner’s high. It occurs during and sometimes after a good run when you feel happy, content and satisfied.

Almost like you’re floating on air. This is the marvel most people are looking forward to when they purchase a shiny, new pair of Nikes. It’s also the thing that Nike, Adidas and all those other shoe companies tell you about.

But … for every good, there must be a bad. And lurking in the wings is the other less talked about phenomenon: runner’s trot. Runner’s trot targets newbie runners, long-distance runners and anyone who eats within two-hours of running.

And let’s just say that when runner’s trot hits – you’ll be upgrading your jog to a sprint as you race to the nearest bathroom.

Yep, diarrhea.

We’ve all had it. But what many people don’t realize is that it’s actually quite normal to get diarrhea while you’re running. Yes, you read correctly – while. You can also experience diarrhea after a run.

So for those of you determined to turn running into your signature fitness activity, be sure to jog around an area that’s close to a public toilet.

And on that happy note, our six fitness facts have been revealed!

Do you know of any other fitness facts that would help out the newbies? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Cover photo: pfitblog.com

About the author

Cassandra Lane

While Cassandra readily admits to being a rampant cupcake aficionada (how could she not be with an almost-brother-in-law that owns not one, but three cupcake shops?) she happily works off her lust of all things sweet and sugary by slogging it out in the gym and outdoors.

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