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Is Personal Training the Best Job?

Find out if Personal Training is the Best Job

Let me Start by telling you How I Ended up in a Personal Training Career

When I was a little girl, I would spend much of my time outdoors, from sledding down the hills in our backyard in the winter to running through the sprinklers in the summer.  I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania and my favorite childhood memories include playing summer youth softball and achieving the all-star ranking.  I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete and I continued my joys of playing softball from childhood to high school to college.  I enjoyed basketball, cross country running, snowboarding, skating, and more.  There is no doubt that playing sports had a positive effect on my social, mental, and physical health. But, becoming a pro was more of a dream than a reality.

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I was an athlete in high school. I even loved skateboarding!

So, could I transfer this love for fitness to a career in Personal Training?

Well, in high school I thought it would be a cool job, but to be honest, I didn't even consider Personal Training when I was in college. I was so out of shape, and I never thought I could start a career as a chubby trainer! My college degree was in Biological Engineering because I dreamed of designing treatments or cures for medical diseases. I always had a passion to help people, and to make the world a better place for all people.  In 2010, I graduated from Penn State University and moved to Arizona to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather and big city life.  I met my husband shortly after living here and we eventually moved into a house together.  When I was pregnant with my son, I started to take my own health very seriously. I spent much of my time learning about nutrition. Little did I know, diet and exercise are the leading cause of most chronic diseases in the United States!  After doing some research, my eyes were opened to the harsh realities of how genetically modified foods and pharmaceutical drugs can negatively impact human health.  I quickly transitioned to a plant-based (vegan) diet and signed up for the NASM Personal Trainer Certification in hopes of losing weight in a healthy way.

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Kelly Gibson, 2010 Penn State Graduate

I started to consider making Personal Training my next job, but I still had my doubts that I'd ever get fit enough. 

Once my son Vincent was born, it became a priority for me to stick to a workout program to get rid of my excess baby weight.  I lost weight very quickly with my newfound knowledge of diet & nutrition, and that led me to believe I really could become a Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach! I wanted to teach others how to do what I did.  Had I known the things I know now (back in college), I would have been in the fitness industry years ago.   I was so excited about starting a new career because I sincerely wanted to help other people look and feel their best.

The Weight Loss Story that Made it all Happen

I had gained over 50 pounds during my pregnancy. By that point, I was ready to commit to my health and get the body I always wanted. I transitioned to eating a plant based diet for weight loss after I spent several months studying nutrition on my own.  It became apparent that the most successful weight loss diets require eating less meat, less dairy products, and less cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is only present in animal-based foods, and I wasn't interested in having any foods in my diet that could hold me back from my goal. Everything I read would suggest we increase whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I wanted to focus on eating the highest quality foods for weight loss, and avoid the lower quality foods for weight gain.  At this point, it was pretty clear to me what I needed to do to get fit and healthy - go vegan!

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I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy and had alot of work ahead of me to lose the weight!

So, that's what I did. Like many of you, I got tired of the misinformation shared on the internet, the calorie restriction diets, and getting nutrition advice from bloggers and sales reps (especially those who have no credentials to make health claims.)  Health was also very important to me, as I wanted to stay healthy for my newborn son and didn't want to rely on supplements or diet pills. I learned about plant-based diets from a variety of reputable websites such as www.pcrm.org, www.nutritionfacts.org, and from several nutrition books and videos. I watched "Forks over Knives" and "Food Inc", as well as video footage of how animals are raised for food. I watched several videos to learn how food is made in factories including the processing of meat, cheese, butter, and poultry.  After becoming educated, it was easy to transition to veganism as my new lifestyle of health, compassion, and fitness. A whole foods plant-based diet helped me lose weight and feel great! I've never felt better.

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From uncontrollable pregnancy weight to bikini body!

Starting in January 2012, I spent most of my free time learning new vegan recipes, reading food labels to find vegan products, and learning about fitness and nutrition. During this transition I lost 75 pounds in 10 months.  So, I took the plunge! I opened a Fitness & Nutrition business in September 2012 and called it Kelly Athletics, because I like to take a fun athletic approach to fitness.  I was finally able to help other women and moms lose weight too! Did I mention Personal Training is the best job ever?! I had so much fun working with other moms and women who had the same struggles that I did. They were inspired by my story, motivated by the outcome, and driven to succeed too.

The twist to the story... Personal Trainers can earn just as much as Engineers!  (Curious what we charge? Go here.)

I don't feel like I wasted my engineering degree. In fact, the work ethic and skills I developed in college have led me to where I am today.  I don't let anything stop me from achieving my goals, and that is what I thank engineering school for. After a year of maintaining my weight loss, I experienced an amazing reward for the hard work I have put into my health & fitness journey. I became the featured cover model & weight loss story in Woman's World magazine! Go here to see the January 2014 weekly issue that I was the cover for. I am so thrilled that I had the chance to share my story with millions of readers! Since staying active after college can be tough on us, I decided to focus my work on young women and moms who need help getting fit.  It is my passion to incorporate fun training into my exercise programs to make working out more athletic in nature and enjoyable for my clients! There's nothing like feeling young when you're getting old! I still feel excited to help more people as a Gluten Free Vegan Trainer, and not only will I keep doing it, I live for it! Yes, Personal Training IS the best job!

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Written by Kelly Gibson | Gluten Free Vegan Trainer | Online Personal Training | Online Personal Trainer

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    Bored with Working out?

    Do you get Bored with Working out by yourself or at the Gym?

    Look back for a moment.  When you or a friend played school sports and had weight training in the off season, each day of the week was designated to specific muscle groups.  For example, Monday was “leg day”, Tuesday was “arm day”, so on and so forth. When this happens, people might get into a routine, but it’s not a very fun one.  You end up knowing what is coming and feeling turned off by the very idea that you have to do it all over again.  Every Monday you do the same leg workouts on the machines – 3 sets of 10, and call it a day. Perhaps instead of falling into a routine with the same workouts all the time, adding variety would make things more interesting and keep people coming back to the gym. (Hint: Try an energetic plant based trainer like me who doesn’t let you get bored with working out!)

    Do you get bored at the gym after short periods of time? Let’s explore how to make it interesting!

    Variety is key to any program, to prevent getting bored with working out.  Changing things up helps with 3 main things: endurance, continuity, and results!

    1. Endurance – if you change up your routine, you will be able to work various muscles in your body .  If you exhaust one muscle and that is the only muscle being trained for the day, you will run out of steam… fast.

    2. Continuity – change things up to keep them interesting.  The less bored you get, the less likely you will quit!

    3. Results – Let’s put two and two together.  If your workouts last longer while working multiple muscles in each workout AND you stick to a workout program because it is fun and exciting… you will absolutely reach your goals faster.

    Truth be told, there is not one exercise program that is right for everyone. Take a look at your goals. Are you trying to lose weight?  Do you want to get buff?  Do you need to get stronger?  Whatever body transformation you are working on, there are key parameters to your training that should be considered. If you allow a fitness professional to put together a proper program design that will work for you, variety could be a key component of your workouts.

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      How to Calculate Heart Rate

      How to Calculate Heart Rate

      In my last blog I talked about how important it is to do High Intensity Interval Training for fat loss.  I want to reiterate that the effectiveness of your workouts depends entirely on how intense your intervals are and if you are staying within the proper heart rate zone for your body. If you aren’t feeling a slight burn in your muscles during the high interval, you might want to kick it up a notch. To make sure you are pushing yourself sufficiently, I recommend learning how to calculate heart rate for mastering your intervals.

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      Polar Watch Heart Rate Monitor

      Your first step is selecting a stopwatch that comes with a heart rate sensor, I personally use the Polar RS100, but there is plenty of options to choose from. You can also check your heart rate on the treadmill or elliptical at the gym. Your second step is to determine your necessary heart rates.  Make sure to warm-up for at least 5 minutes before doing a workout.  If you are a beginner with poor cardiovascular fitness, you might not be quite ready for interval training and should maintain a low steady heart rate (HR1) for 30-60 minutes, three times per week.

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      Monitor Heart Rate on a Treadmill, Elliptical, or Stair Climber

      To estimate heart rate, let’s do some basic math:

      HRMax = 220 – your age (your recommended maximum heart rate)

      HR1 = HRMax*0.7

      HR2 = HRMax*0.8

      HR3 = HRMax*0.9

      *Note: HRs are averages; get within 5bpm and you are solid

       If you are ready to advance then start doing intervals from HR1 to HR2, spending up to 3 minutes at HR1 and increasing your intensity for 30-60 seconds at HR2. If that seems to be too easy after 60 minutes, increase your time in HR2 and decrease your time in HR1. Sounds simple, but make sure you plan accordingly.

       Try our Interval Training Calendars to allow us to Calculate your Heart Rate and put a workout plan together for you! Kelly currently uses a FitBit Blaze to track her workouts and monitor heart rate

      Once you excel, start your intervals from HR2 to HR3.  It doesn’t hurt (no pun intended) to spend a day each week working on short-burst sprints such as the 100m dash, or a 15-second timed sprint. I’m talking Beast Mode sprints. Go as fast as humanly possible, then give yourself a break to walk or jog before doing another sprint. Five to ten sprints per week will help you increase your speed and prepare you for a longer session of interval training. Remember: the higher the heart rate the more fat calories you will burn.

      Of course, there are plenty of other ways to do interval training aside from running and jogging. For a more unique program designed to burn fat, try Interval Training Plans with Kelly Athletics and you’ll be sure to have fun.

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