Client: Initial Consultation
The client, a male in his 40s, came to our Glebe location looking for a better way to deal with his stress. He was having a hard time sticking to his workouts and was hoping for more accountability. Lastly, he wanted someone to help him choose better exercises for his goals and fitness level so that he would not injure himself.
Trainer: Programming
The client was assigned to personal trainer and Glebe manager, Lori Peppiatt. Based on his goals, Lori performed a basic physical assessment of the client. He was worried about injuries, so she had to assess if there were any imbalances or weaknesses – a common source for injuries when exercising without a trainer.
Lori looked at how he moved his upper body, and then his lower to determine any imbalances there. She was also looking at the range of motion of the joints to help assess his mobility. And finally, she assessed if there were any posture corrections that could be made.
After his initial assessment, Lori created a program that would help teach the client better kinesthetic awareness. This means creating a stronger mind-body connection so that as he performed exercises he understood where he was supposed to feel the movement. She also helped him with proper breathing techniques. Breathing techniques would not only improve his oxygen uptake during exercises, making each movement more efficient but also help him manage his stress. Our breath is our connection to the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system that controls our stress responses. If she could teach him the power of proper breathing techniques, he would have more ways to manage his stress outside of the gym.
She then made sure that she took the time to teach him proper technique for the exercises included in his program. He was working out at home so he only had a mat, dumbbells, resistance bands, an ottoman, and his own bodyweight to workout with. He started working out 3x per week and has continued on this program ever since. Here is a sample of his 3-day split:
| Total Body | Day 1 | |||
| Toe reach squats | 1 | 12 | BW | |
| Squats with single arm press | 3 | 10 | 20 | |
| Bent over single arm row | 3 | 10 | 30 | |
| Side Lunges – with goblet hold | 3 | 10-12 | 25lb, | |
| Pushups – full (start from mat) | 3 | 8-10 | BW | |
| Y/T/W | 2 | 5reps each | 5sec holds | |
| Side plank with twist | 2 | 15 reps | BW | |
| Upper Body | Day 2 | |||
| Bird dog | 1 | 5/side | BW | 10sec holds |
| Renegade rows | 3 | 8-10 | 25lb | |
| DB Flies – mat | 3 | 10 | 30 | |
| Bent over Reverse flies | 3 | 8-12 | 20lbx2 | |
| Pushup planks | 3 | 10 | BW | |
| Deadbug with weighted plate | 2 | 10/leg | 10lb | |
| Breathing exercise | 1 | 10 | ||
| Lower Body | Day 3 | |||
| Bird dog | 1 | 5/side | BW | 10 sec hold |
| Walking Lunges | 3 | 10/leg | 20lbsx2 | |
| Single leg balance – aeroplane | 3 | 6 leg | BW | |
| DB Goblet Squat with hold at bottom | 3 | 12 | 35lb | |
| Hamstring Curls with gliders | 3 | 10-12 | BW | |
| Side plank hold | 2 | 25 sec | BW | |
| Breathing exercise | 1 | 10 |
Client: Results
Since he started working with Lori, the client has seen major improvements in his cardiovascular endurance. He is no longer as winded when taking long hikes and walking up hills.
The client’s mobility has also improved over the sessions and he is now able to do a number of basic movements with great proficiency. For example, his hip hinge, a difficult movement to master, has improved allowing him to pick things up off of the floor safely. The depth of his squats have improved, which is a great indicator of lower body mobility and stability.
The client has also seen improvement in their balance and can perform a number of single leg exercises. They can now do more push-ups than when they started and continue to improve their form in this exercise as well. He started with 3 reps for pushups from the toes, and can now do 8-10reps from his toes, starting from the mat.
Lastly, the “client feels the benefits as he is now better able to manage stress on a regular basis, has increased his energy and overall body strength, and is regaining his confidence to get back on the ski hill after many years.”
For the month of February, the client’s goal is to keep the momentum and stay on track with consistent workouts. He believes this will help keep him motivated and assist with his emotional resilience this time of year. It will keep him focused on the positive and his spirits up.
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