tjwardND

Notre Dame, IN

I have become a trainer for two reasons. First, I love working out and getting other people to work out. There is nothing more rewarding than helping people achieve their goals. Second, I want to gain a competitive advantage when applying for physical therapy school. My long term goal is to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and having a personal training background is a wonderful way to help me gain admittance to a quality graduate school.

The biggest mistake people make when working out is using improper form, also known as "cheating." Men especially have a problem with this because they want to be able to lift a lot of weight so they can "look good" in front of other people in the gym. Bad technique is a leading cause of injury, causes people to lose functional mobility because they become muscle bound, and prevents people from making significant improvements in their training.

First, I would send the client to a doctor for a stress test and to address any complications of his diabetes. Barring complications, I would start the client on an aerobic training regimen that built up his conditioning so that he could exercise at a low intensity for at least an hour and a moderate intensity for at least 20 minutes. I would also include high repetition resistance training and encourage daily lifestyle changes such as regular activity with his children, walking the dog, etc.