Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Happy Sunday, y'. All. You are listening to Fit to Be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone in oh my Atlanta.
It's almost Thanksgiving. I know.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: That's what I was waiting for you to say.
[00:00:20] Speaker A: I know. Well, you know, as a dietitian, like, I'm always thinking about food, whether it's, like, how it therapeutically helps people or the fact that it's delicious today.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Well, you know, it's funny, like, being in fitness, people always think, like, oh, my gosh, do you work out? What do you eat? I'm like, I mean, I don't do anything physically active. And I sit and I eat.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: Like, because it's Thanksgiving and I'm being grateful and so I'm taking it all in.
[00:00:41] Speaker A: Yeah. There is a time and a place for everything.
[00:00:42] Speaker B: There is a time and a place for everything.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:00:45] Speaker B: So anyway, I know.
[00:00:46] Speaker A: And then, you know, we've got like, changes in temperature. We get some really cold days and
[00:00:53] Speaker B: I don't know, you know, so I. Let's talk about the temperature for a second. So I'm always cold, like, as we speak right now. My fingers are a little bit cold. I'm just. I'm chilly. It's just. And I've been looking for a really good heater, like a little portable heater in my house. I've been on, you know, Amazon shopping around, and I found one I like. But then I'm just like. I talk myself out of it. Not like the steam mop, though, because I did buy a steam mop that
[00:01:15] Speaker C: I really, really love.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: Well, you know, and I've been wanting to ask you about that.
[00:01:18] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:01:18] Speaker A: So.
[00:01:19] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Well, let's just say it'll change your life. And you know me, I don't like a lot of chemicals. I like to hug trees. I don't eat all that kind of stuff, so less chemicals is better for me. And so I love having a steam mop where I can, like, crank up the steam. You can, like, put different settings on it. I'll hook you up. I'll show you.
[00:01:34] Speaker A: Please do. Is it corded?
[00:01:35] Speaker B: It is corded.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: No big deal.
[00:01:37] Speaker B: I mean, if it's uncorded, then it costs more money. And, you know, I don't spend money. So we ride.
[00:01:42] Speaker A: Totally. No, I just. I was.
My 14 month old loves to throw food on the floor, and our dog has been temporarily staying with my parents. And so we just don't have that animal vacuum to, like, eat the things. And so I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm having to, like, clean this up. And so I told my husband Terry. I was like, okay. For Christmas, I think I want one of those, like, Dyson cordless, like, stick vacuums for the hardwood floor. And he's like, I just feel really wrong getting you a vacuum for Christmas.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: No.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: And I'm like, no, no, no, babe, times have changed. Yeah.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Priorities.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: Vacuums are okay.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:19] Speaker A: If I'm specifically requesting that. And then it got me thinking about the steam mop because, like, after you get the crumbs off the floor, you gotta steal.
[00:02:25] Speaker B: You gotta steam it. Yeah.
[00:02:27] Speaker A: Well.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: And they make some that are kind of all in one. But I wonder if that fits into, like, in our wellness wheel, like, didn't we talk about. I guess Holly was on the show a couple weeks ago about, like, food prepping and things like that. And I wonder if, like, cleaning your house is enough.
[00:02:40] Speaker A: Well, I think if anything else, from a mental health standpoint, how could you not be in a better emotional state of health if you are in a clean environment?
[00:02:48] Speaker B: Clean environment. It's germ free. Well, we talked about washing hands. I think maybe Dr. Christensen. Yes, that's what it was.
[00:02:55] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:55] Speaker B: Dr. Christian was telling us to wash our hands and get our flu shots.
[00:02:58] Speaker A: I know. So there's like, all the things. I know we've been seeing a little bit of the flu at the health center. I think for the most part, students are trying to be responsible with their germs. They're just crud. Going around in general.
[00:03:10] Speaker B: Yeah, all that. That mess. But, yeah, but.
[00:03:13] Speaker A: Yeah, but. No, but we're getting. It's getting colder. And so now we're just. We're just at that time of the year. And I think with that, that's just gonna be a good segue into our conversation today.
[00:03:23] Speaker B: It is. It's finally, we're talking about fitness. We haven't really talked about it a lot this semester. We've kind focusing on some other areas and aspects of wellness and some resources in our division. But this is when my crew shines, I feel like, because people are learning about the opportunities over the breaks. But then also. Or the recs are being open, but then also kind of getting into New Year's resolutions and spring and thinking about that.
It's kind of where we shine.
[00:03:51] Speaker A: I know, because I think sometimes we have this thought process like, oh, I'll start all these exercise or nutrition goals after the holidays. But if you go ahead and start implementing some things, you know, as we go through all these major gatherings, you kind of said, how could you not set yourself up for stepping out that way. But I don't know, I feel like I'm rambling, but probably because I'm like,
[00:04:11] Speaker B: that's what they pay us to do on the radio. Just kidding. We don't get paid.
[00:04:14] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like disclaimer there. And I've had a lot of. I've had a lot of caffeine this afternoon. I think somebody else at this table has had some caffeine. Because outside the studio, I saw an
[00:04:24] Speaker B: energy effort that it would be our producer. Okay.
[00:04:27] Speaker A: I was like, is that yours?
[00:04:29] Speaker B: Oh, who's the culprit?
[00:04:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm looking. I don't know. Okay, we'll figure it out after the break. But speaking of breaks, y' all take one, grab an energy drink if that's what you are interested in. Or some water, wash your hands, do all the things. Grab a blanket. But you are listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney. And we will catch you after the break.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And if you are just now tuning in, Whitney and I alluded to the fact that we are talking fitness today.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: We are. And like I was telling you guys, I feel like we haven't really talked a lot about fitness. So it's kind of now our time to shine. Although we do talk a lot about it in the spring. But on our show today, we have two special guests. One that's been here a couple of shows with us before and a brand new guest. But two of our coordinators from University recreation, we have Mr. Charles Burrows and Ms. Dee Hanson. Hello.
[00:05:31] Speaker C: Hello.
[00:05:31] Speaker D: How's it going, guys?
[00:05:32] Speaker B: Thanks for being on our show. Of course. I get to see you guys almost every day. Dee, you're usually over at the Witt center for like half the week, and then Charles will see you all the time because your office is literally right next door to mine. But before we get any further into the show, I'll start with you, Charles.
Tell us again what you do for your job and a little bit about yourself.
[00:05:52] Speaker D: Sure, absolutely. So I'm the fitness services coordinator with my main focus is being our personal training program, actually. So my primary responsibilities are heading out that program, supervising our personal trainers, which I gotta say is a full time job in and of itself, and really just making sure that that ship is running smoothly. So that's my main focus is our personal training programs.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And you've been on a couple of times before because we talked about goal setting and you told us about your smart goals and when you're looking at starting a new exercise routine, kind of some things to look at. So yeah, thanks for being on again. And then Dee Hanson.
[00:06:27] Speaker C: Hello.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: Hello.
[00:06:29] Speaker C: Thanks for having me.
I will just get it out there. I'm from Wisconsin. I hear that people can hear that a lot.
[00:06:35] Speaker B: Do you guys hear the accent?
[00:06:37] Speaker A: Is it obvious?
[00:06:39] Speaker C: I've literally had people not even say, are you from the north? Are you from Wisconsin?
Yeah, actually I am. So that's funny. Yeah, I've been here since June. I am also a fitness services coordinator and I get to oversee group exercise. So instructors that teach all the classes that everyone gets to go to, currently we have 144 per week, which is awesome.
And similar programming, scheduling that supervising that bunch, which is also a full time job in itself, I would say.
So yeah, group exercise is kind of the world that I'm in over here and it's been such fun rides so far. Great to be here.
[00:07:13] Speaker A: That's awesome. Now Dee, prior to coming to ua, since you are relatively new to our campus, we what was your professional background prior to this and even your educational background?
[00:07:22] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. So I grew up a dancer. I was a competitive dancer my whole life. Dabbled in some sports. So when I got to college, not really knowing what I wanted to do, I started in special education and I still pretty passionate for that bunch and I do some things with that. But I right away started working in the gym my freshman year at the rec center at the college that I went to. And then from there I tried out to be a group X instructor and just kind of got more, more and more involved, started teaching different formats, developed a leadership role on the team. And then from there I applied to grad school and I went to grad school at the University of Florida where I served as a graduate assistant for my first year in group exercise and then in my second year over strength and conditioning. So more that can be a little confusing there. It was really overseeing the weight room staff as well as doing some Olympic lifting clinics, some boot camp classes. So just it was kind of cool to have that group kind of dabble in actual fitness but then and get to teach classes but also overseeing the weight room and more strength programming things. So that's where I was for grad school two years, 2017 to 2019 and then found myself here after that.
[00:08:37] Speaker A: That's awesome. And then Charles, I know you've said during breaks and just in other casual conversation, you are a Texas, man. Is that right?
[00:08:44] Speaker D: Yes, I am from the little bitty town of Tyler, Texas.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: I don't know why that was funny. It was just like. It was honestly your approach to it. If you guys, like, have seen him, he kind of cocked his head to the side. Yes, I am. It was like the typical, like, well,
[00:09:00] Speaker A: yes, they are, my dear.
[00:09:01] Speaker B: I sure am.
Yeah. And so it's so cool for you guys listening. I get to work with Charles and Dee, and they keep our program running. So we have a really awesome fitness team. I'm curious though, Dee, since you've been here, we're. What are some differences between, like, Alabama culture and Florida culture? Just at the rec center or on campus?
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure.
I would say the biggest difference that I directly deal with is the instructors that we have on staff.
So at Florida, the group fitness instructors were all students.
They came in through the instructor training course. That was really the only way.
Whereas here we kind of keep our staff around a little longer. So we have a lot of non students on staff, which I think really incredible, especially for this setting and the community members that we serve here at Florida, it was a lot different in the primary population coming to the rec center were students or faculty staff. And here we see a lot of the Tuscaloosa community as well. And I think that having that option for our instructors to stay for a longer period of time, especially because they're so passionate and invested in the participants, really helps serve that community. And that's really awesome.
I think as far as it's a similar culture in the way that we're going to get a lot of classes on the schedule, we have a lot of high expectations. We have really great instructors in both programs and a lot of people who are well versed in multiple areas. The way that they go through the program and team teaching, having mentors is similar at all places that I've been and what I've seen. And I think that that really works to be the best. You're just in an environment where you're constantly learning from other people, and they're very supportive of one another. So those are some similarities and differences that I've seen in both places.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: That's awesome. That's awesome.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: And I think that's so the biggest thing we're gonna talk about. I'm just gonna. Cause I know you guys have been, like, just dying, you guys in your cars to know, but that's kind of what we're gonna talk about is, you know, finding a good class to go to or finding your Right. Fit for a personal trainer. That's gonna be our kind of hot topic. Oh, my gosh. Do you remember the store? Hot Topic? I'm sorry, I just went.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: Kind of scared me.
[00:11:08] Speaker B: I kind of loved it. But y' all know me.
[00:11:10] Speaker C: Yeah, I can see that.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: I like.
I mean, Harry Potter. Come on. Anyway, back to the conversation.
This is what our topic is going to be about today, is just as we move forward into the holidays and then thinking about spring, because it'll be here before you know it, like, finding the right trainer. And Charles, we're going to ask you a lot about that and then finding the right group exercise class to go to. But I love that Dee said that, you know, in recreation, it's very different than just a commercial gym. In some ways, some commercial gyms, if not all, are going to be focused on sales and pushing in a hustle, whereas we're a little bit different. We're focused on the student development of things, hiring people, putting time and energy into those resources. And I'm just curious, Charles, for you, you came from the commercial fitness and gym type. So, like, what have the differences been that you've seen since you've been here?
[00:12:00] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. So I feel like I spent a few years in commercial fitness and then a few years in corporate wellness, which is similar but different.
I gotta say that commercial fitness is a very hustle and bustle, very motivated place to work, I guess. But really what makes it different from where I work now is that people are really obsessed with just a different approach to fitness. And I guess to say it, it's very competitive is a really good way of putting it.
Extremely competitive, Very cutthroat in a lot of ways. And I more mean so like people who are working together. Yeah, but it's just a different animal, you know, it really is. And that's not to say it's bad. It's just very different.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: Yeah, and I think, you know, with our staff and our trainers, our instructors, like, we. We try to pour a lot of ourselves into that. So that way it's more of like a family atmosphere. Like, that's what we try to do. Not to say that other gyms don't do that, but, you know, at least at the rec center, we're not trying to, like, make tons of money. I mean, would be nice, but you. I mean, we're not trying to just rack in all the money. We're trying to make it an experience, and we're trying to make it a very open and inclusive and comfortable experience for all of our patrons and students.
[00:13:11] Speaker A: Yeah, no, And I love, you know, just what from all of you have shared, just in terms of the diversity of the instructors and the personal trainers, in terms of age. Just because I think that's very reflective of the patrons that you guys have. And it's not just undergraduate students or graduate students or just faculty staff, but we have so many community members. And so the fact that the. The staff actually mimics the population of patrons is. It really kind of set you guys apart. I think that's wonderful.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: I think it's pretty rad, guys. But you know what, on that note, I think it's time for a little break. So as Sheena always says, grab a sip of water, grab a blanket. If you're chilly, grab a little snack. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone.
Welcome back. You're listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. First of all, I hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday. And second of all, I hope you're listening to us with a notebook and just real intently with. I know we should give out like brownie points. If people can, like, tell us what they. What they've learned from our show, maybe
[00:14:27] Speaker A: we should start having some swag with like our logo being like, this is your note taking notebook for 15th time.
Yes.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: See, Always thinking. We like to keep you guys on your toes. But we've had a really awesome conversation. It's only been 15 minutes of our show, you know, so it's been pretty great talking about fitness. And Charles and Dee are our coordinators over at the student recreation center. And I want to continue this conversation about just how great our facility is. I feel like I'm always like, talking about it, but I do really feel passionate about what we do. But let's switch gears a little bit so we know that, Charles, you oversee the personal trainers and D, you oversee the group exercise staff. I want to talk about why you guys became trainers, why you became instructors. Like, what drew you to that? And Dee, I'll start with you. Okay.
[00:15:13] Speaker C: So I started off becoming a group X instructor. Like I mentioned in college, I grew up a dancer. And that just seemed a way for me to still be able to perform.
At first, that was. That was what it was for me. And it was an exciting thing to, you know, I'm an extrovert and it was fun for me to be able to do that.
And so that's kind of how I got into it and from there is when I really learned of the passion of it and how it switched from not just being something I'm doing for myself, but how I'm affecting other people and helping them.
Very quickly, I started to realize people who are coming and being regulars in my classes, which was always really rewarding and just the impact that I was making in the community that I was a part of. So that right away became really rewarding and then continued, not only from the participant standpoint, but now from being in a leadership role and getting to help other people develop as instructors. And to me, that's my favorite part because it's. You know, Charles mentioned earlier, when we're talking about corporate fitness and different things like that, the competitive mindset, that is not me. I am competitive in things, but in this world, that's not where I come in, and it's not why I do it. So helping other people and having this constant growth, constant learning environment, development is what I love about the job. And I think kind of pursued my path in record recreation.
I didn't start personal training until I was in grad school. So at Florida is when I started kind of taking on that role, when I started my Olympic lifting cert, some small group training, and that's. It was really all group X until then.
And I definitely have a high love and passion for all of those things as well. I think just group X just feels like home to me. I guess it's where I started my journey, and it's where I've spent the most time making the most impact, so with students and instructors. So I think that's really what kind of drove me through and especially was appealing to me about this job and coming here and kind of going back to my roots. I say roots.
[00:17:13] Speaker B: Say that again. Say that for all of our Southerners. I love that.
[00:17:17] Speaker C: I know it's roots is something I say, but, yeah, that's kind of my journey and why I love being in rec and doing what I do.
[00:17:26] Speaker B: I think that's awesome. And, Charles, I know we've heard your story before, but for those that haven't, like, why did you get into personal training?
[00:17:32] Speaker D: Yeah. So for me, I was one of those people that for most of my life, really, until college, I hated fitness. That was not something I wanted to do.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: But you would never think that now watching you work out and, like, what you're in, like, it just blows my mind.
[00:17:45] Speaker D: Yeah. You know, for the longest time, I hated it.
The little bit of physical activity that I got before college really was from Sports.
And honestly, in sports, I was hurt half the time because I didn't do any kind of training outside of it. And really, when I started sports in high school, I wasn't ready for it, so I just kept hurting myself. So for me, like, getting into fitness and becoming a personal trainer started with my own change.
While I was in college, you know, I realized I'd gotten to that point where, you know, it's. It's time to make a change and for the better. And so when I started to, you know, started to lose weight, started to exercise more, started to eat healthier, that's when I started to realize that, you know, not only do I not hate this, I actually love it. I think it's awesome. And then once I saw the positive impact it had on my life, I decided I wanted to do that for other people and, you know, to help those people who maybe were in the same spot and who don't like fitness and don't want to have to do any of that and just to be kind of that person to show them that, hey, this is something that you can also enjoy and that you can get into.
So I think that's when I really decided to become a personal trainer was my junior year in college. I switched my major to health and kinesiology. I started studying for my certification, and from there, it just kind of snowballed. And, you know, it's awesome to think that, you know, it's been, I guess, six or seven years since that happened, and I enjoy fitness even more now than I did then. So that's. That's why I'm here, I guess.
[00:19:06] Speaker A: Well, I love your transparency with your history with fitness, just in terms of that not necessarily being your cup of tea in the beginning, because I think that that gives you that ability to truly empathize with someone, whether you're personally directly training them. And this person is like, oh, my gosh, am I a lost cause? Because I hate this. And you can say, no, no, no. I was in your shoes. So I think that's amazing.
[00:19:31] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[00:19:31] Speaker B: And, you know, I think that's a perfect segue into, you know, a fitness professional job. And not just like, what we do, because we're more on the administrative, like, we're managing things, but on the floor, being a personal trainer, being a group X instructor, like, what defines a good trainer? I feel like that's such a loaded question. But I mean, Charles, what do you think defines a good trainer?
[00:19:55] Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. So I guess first I'd start with what doesn't define A good trainer
[00:20:00] Speaker C: at
[00:20:01] Speaker D: first, I would say is you don't want to obsess too much about the certification itself. Yeah, Personal training is very different from like being a doctor or being a physical therapist. And that there's not just one or two certifying agencies out there that you got to go to. Right. If you're a lawyer, you got to go take the state bar for personal training. There are tons and tons of different certifying agencies. And so what I would suggest first off is a good trainer is not necessarily someone who has the perfect certification or walks around with the perfect body, but there's someone who is passionate about what they do. That is the first thing I think that every person will trainer has to be is they have to love what they're actually doing.
Not only that, but also a good personal trainer is going to be someone that they are tailoring your training to you. Right. They're not just taking you through some sort of like cookie cutter workout or something like that, but they're actually listening to what you need and trying to create a program that's focused around what you need. And I think that is absolutely important.
And then one last thing I think that really is important for any good personal trainer is that they are open to learning.
I would say that fitness right now, or in general fitness, is a unique industry in that it is constantly changing. In my opinion, we're still on the frontier of what we're learning about the human body. And so for that reason we've got to continue to learn and to adapt and admit that maybe what we thought was true five years ago might not be the case anymore. So I think those are really three main things that you just got to be a good trainer.
[00:21:26] Speaker B: I think it's interesting, you know, I'm sitting here thinking about it and I've been in situations before where I've met another trainer and there's been like this like chip on the shoulder and it's almost like, like we're all kind of in it together. Like I get the competition of like, you want more clients and you know, whatever. But it's like, I mean, like you said, you have to continue to learn and grow. And if you're a personal trainer, the learning never stops happening. If you think, I mean, you could be, you know, 65 years old, still training, but if you think you've learned everything, well, that's just false. And I think those of you that are listening, you know, if you are looking for a trainer, maybe have some questions that you could ask them. That kind of vets that for you so that you know that your trainer is going to be passionate enough and want to learn enough for you, the client. Because it just, it never stops. Like I, I still have students ask me well or say like, well, you know everything. I'm like, well, first of all, I do not know everything.
I know more now than I did when I first started. But it's because I just constantly am learning and I'm trying to expand my knowledge on things that I'm interested in. So, I mean, I think, I think you nail hit the nail on the head, Charles, with what to look for in a good personal trainer. Now I'm curious d on your side of things, a group X instructor, because they're kind of different. I mean, there's some similarities for sure, but you know, personal trainer is one on one. Group X instructor is a group of like 10 or 30 people.
[00:22:50] Speaker C: Yeah. So I think starting off similar to Charles, let's talk about what they're not. It's very similar in that sense. So, you know, they don't have to know everything. They don't have to have the perfect certification. It's the same kind of thing. And I think personality wise, a lot of times people get confused of what a group X instructor is because you automatically think of this bubbly person who is always yelling in your face and things like that and is always super excited. And I think every group X instructor is excited, but they don't always show that in the right way and that's okay. And it doesn't have to be this very extroverted bubbly person.
I think that they, you know, just like all of us, we come in different shapes and sizes, we have different personalities. And you can make a very effective group X class based on any personality. In my opinion.
Some of the things that they do have to have in common to be successful.
Obviously, like you mentioned, with personal training, you're coming in and you're having a lot more information about this person that you're catering to. And in group X it's not like that. You may know nothing about them, sometimes not even their name.
So people are always asking me and asking other instructors, you know, would I be okay in this class? Could this class work for me? And in my opinion, the answer should always be yes. Because as an instructor, that's a skill that you need to have. You need to work the room, you need to be able to think on the fly, be adaptable and show one exercise that you may have planned in at least three different ways, because there needs to be levels for every person. And every person in that room, whether you're a triathlete or you just had some major surgery and you're recovering, you should be able to get an effective workout. And that's an important skill set of an instructor. Obviously passionate, because like we talked about, you know, you got to care about this job. You're never going to just come in and know everything. You're never gonna be the someone's always gonna know more than you. There's always more to learn. But the people who are the most successful, it's not that they're just the smartest. They're just willing to take that feedback from their participants, understand what worked and what didn't, and they're willing to learn more, they're willing to try new things, and they're excited to be there, and they care about their participants. And I think those are some similarities that are huge in being successful.
[00:24:57] Speaker A: Dee, I love what you said with that and Charles with your comments too, related to personal training, because I think even in just what you guys have in this segment could very much have talked someone into considering doing group exercise or seeking a personal trainer because you've debunked some thoughts that they might have had. But we've had such good conversation and now we gotta take a break.
[00:25:17] Speaker B: Show's flying.
We need like a two hour segment. Hear that? 90.7.
[00:25:22] Speaker A: So y' all sit tight. We're gonna take a quick break. You're listening to Fit to Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7 the capst.
Welcome back. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheen and Whitney on 90.7 the Capstone. And oh, my gosh, we have been having some amazing fitness conversation with Charles and Dee from our university recreation. And, you know, before the break, we talked a lot about, you know, what should somebody be looking for in a good personal trainer and group exercise instructor? And I think I had alluded to this earlier. I think from what you guys have shared so far, this has probably got the gears turning for a lot of our listeners who may have not considered these two options as part of their fitness journey.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: No, I agree. And I think, you know, fitness in general, we have a lot of outlets, usually social media, that will make us think that going to the gym is a certain way. And I think it's the rec center and at the Witt Center, I think we try to debunk that. We're not always going to debunk everything, but at least for the programs and services that we offer, we like to just open it up. You know, we like to be very transparent.
So we were talking a little bit about what our classes and classes look like. Dee and Charles both, you know, you guys mentioned what a good personal trainer looks like, but like characteristics. So I know you guys hire, you guys hire group exercise instructors, you hire personal trainers, aside from the fitness side of things, because anybody can read a book, anybody can gain experience working with people. But what types of characteristics do you guys personally look for when hiring Charles?
[00:27:14] Speaker D: Sure. So, you know, obviously like you said, there are some requirements, right? There's some background that needs to be had. But outside of that, a lot of, you know, the characteristics I think of a good personal trainer carry it over to what I'm looking for when I'm hiring.
You know, are they passionate? You know, if they sit down in front of me, we have an interview. Do they get excited to talk about these topics? You know, is that something they enjoy?
And then also, you know, are they adaptable? Are they able to customize a program for someone that they're working for? You know, are they able to, you know, for example, I gave like a mock session with a potential trainer a month or two ago and we were doing an exercise and basically in a mock session, I'm pretending to be a client and they're the trainer. And one of them did something that I was just like, what in the world is this? I don't even understand. And we talked about it and he was like, oh, you know what? That didn't make a whole lot of sense. And so he was able to admit that he was wrong. And I think that's just really important is that you're not so confident. I have a certification, I have everything.
[00:28:11] Speaker A: You need
[00:28:15] Speaker D: be able to admit that you're not right on everything. I think that's incredibly important in this industry that's constantly changing.
[00:28:20] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. And group exercise, I mean, characteristics like you kind of already talked about, you don't have to be that cookie cutter. I think when people think of group exercise is that typical cookie cutter look of like, bubbly. But what characteristics do you look for?
[00:28:33] Speaker C: Yeah, so traditionally when we're hiring on new instructors, the way that they typically go about it is sitting in on the instructor training course that we offer through the rec.
And that is a really fun process because we go through, we have some lectures and they get some time to do some hands on things. They get a mentor assigned that's already an instructor, and they build that relationship and you know, we kind of call it one big interview process. So it's not. It's treated like an academic class, but they're not getting a grade. It's more so like a big learning process for them. Are they ready to be an instructor and are they fit to be on our team here? And I think something that, you know, like we talked about, obviously the skills need to be there. There is an audition component. But aside from the passion and all those things that I kind of talked about earlier, something that does really set us apart, like we talked about earlier at the rec, here is our involvement, you know, in our development. We're not just here to go in and compete with other people. We're not looking for that. So I want to see that they are willing to be involved and willing to give their time and be part of this family that we're creating the culture of. And it's not just about them, and it's not just about their class. We are a team. And, yes, the role itself is pretty independent, but there is a lot of stuff that we can use each other for and we learn from each other. So I need to be able to see the willingness to get involved in those things, for sure, because I think that the most successful people on our team are the ones that are willing to say yes. And especially in the beginning, when you're an instructor, you can't just walk into class and put on the show.
It takes a lot of planning and a lot of time. And the more you put into it on the front end, the more successful you're gonna be. So being willing to give your time and it will really pay off later. So as I see that, that's definitely a good characteristic of someone I want on my team.
[00:30:20] Speaker B: And that's definitely. I mean, that transfers over to personal training as well. I mean, when you have a client or when you have participants in your class, they want to know that you're prepared.
And if you're not prepared, people can see straight through.
[00:30:31] Speaker A: I mean, you can't.
[00:30:32] Speaker B: I mean, especially personal training, group exercise, you may be able to kind of wing it a little bit, but in personal training, if you're not prepared. And that's why we always are super.
Like, we tell our trainers and our instructors, you got to prepare for class. Like, this is just. People are paying memberships to come and be here. They're paying for personal training sessions. And so there's times, unfortunately, that trainers and instructors don't do what they're supposed to do. And it might not be at the rec center, but it might be around town. And if you've ever taken a class before or been or paid for a training session and you know that it's not going the way it should, I mean, there's times that you. And this is kind of jumping way ahead. I just feel like saying it. You gotta break up with your trainer. I mean, there might be red flags for whatever reason, and you gotta be able to identify those. And so I'm curious just in all of our experiences, because, you know, Sheena, I know you've had trainers before you. Well, they've been our trainers, but I'm like, oh, crap. Actually, but. And just in our experiences, like red flags, when someone is not doing what they're supposed to be doing, like, what do those things look like?
[00:31:37] Speaker C: I think for group X, we have a little bit of an advantage because there are so many people that come to our classes.
If somebody's doing something wrong, I'm gonna hear about it, which is kind of nice. Whereas, Charles, you know, that participant may have to come and tell him or hear that it's a bad trainer. So I think that that is an advantage I have that I have so many people and so many eyes on the facility that I will hear something.
But red flags are definitely just, you know, for group X, if you're. You're not. Time is such a big thing. Like, these people are choosing to spend their time with you. You need to be there. You need to give them the full time that they deserve.
You know, not respecting safety concerns is a huge red flag. So like I mentioned earlier, there are so many different skill sets in the class, and if an instructor is not catering to that, that's important. Now, granted, some things, maybe if it's an injury they don't know about, and that's where we really do rely on participants to make sure that they are aware of that. Because, you know, like I always say, like, you, yes, there are times you have to break up with an instructor or a trainer, but make sure you have those conversations first and give them a chance to change. I think is. Is important, but definitely safety, definitely. Just not being willing to go the extra mile is big because this is just the nature of this field. That that's just kind of what you have to do if you really care and you are passionate about it.
[00:33:00] Speaker A: Now, Charles, what would a patron need to look for in terms of a red flag with a personal trainer?
[00:33:06] Speaker B: And I'll tell you right now, with a class, you can just not go back to the class. And unless it's like you're a regular and you're used to going, but like personal training, you have then started a new relationship and you are sharing these things with each other.
So. Yeah. What kind of red flags, Charles?
[00:33:22] Speaker D: So, you know, as Dean mentioned, it can be pretty challenging. There's not a whole lot of opportunities to notice those red flags from a management perspective. I mean, for me, if a client doesn't say something, a lot of times I'll never hear it because obviously a trader is not going to come up to me, hey, I'm doing a terrible job.
[00:33:37] Speaker B: I'm terrible at my job.
[00:33:39] Speaker D: Yeah, exactly. So that requires a lot of open communication and honesty from a client. So really, from a client's perspective, if you're looking for red flags, there's two questions I'd really ask yourself. One is, am I seeing progress? That's a big one. And of course with that, I would say are you doing everything that your trainer is asking you to do?
But if you're saying yes and you're still not seeing progress of some sort of kind, then that right there is a big red flag to me. You should be seeing some sort of progress in the right direction. And is that because the training is not working or is it because maybe the trainer isn't measuring your progress? Right, so there's a few different factors that can be involved with that, but that's that first question is, are you seeing progress? And then the other one I'd say is, is the trainer invested in you? And that from like what Whitney had said, are they prepared? You know, are they keeping track of things that you're doing in your workout? You know, do you show up for a workout and you're just feel like you're doing a bunch of random stuff that doesn't make sense? You know, does the trainer look lost? I think those are really important things because it is important that that trainer is investing their time and making sure you get that quality experience. And so if you don't feel like you are, then I would definitely address that in the best way possible.
[00:34:47] Speaker A: Well, you know, and I'm thinking from my personality, if I'm looking in the lens of being a patron, I would initially probably be very nervous to, you know, to say something. But I think that with your both of yalls encouragement of saying like, like you need to communicate your concerns because that person's not gonna know that they've not met your expectations unless you say something. So then if you do say something and there's still not improvement, at least you can Walk away from that situation with the peace of mind of like. But I did, I did state my concerns versus thinking like, oh, maybe I shouldn't have just prematurely broken up with that person without, you know, being transparent about what I was worried about. So.
[00:35:28] Speaker C: And I think that's a good point of like, just a reminder of the. The two of us and what we're here for, for resources. We don't get to be the ones on the ground all the time. We have this, you know, overview of everything, and that's our job. But sometimes it is fun to get involved with the participants, and that's what we're here to serve them. So I think it's important if they. To know if they are having those conversations and it's not going successfully. Our information is on the website. We're here to meet with you too, and we're happy to do that. And that's who we're here to serve. And that's important to.
[00:35:56] Speaker B: No, and I think that's a good point because there's going to come a point. If you've been open and honest with your trainer, your instructor, and things aren't working out and you've done your part as the client and you have that peace of mind, you have that closure, well, then the next step is to go to management. And I think that, you know, we try not to let that happen. Like, we try to make sure that we're teaching our students and even our non students, like, putting them in leadership roles, like, making sure that they know that, like, we're gonna support them. And I think that's why we have such a great program is we really do support. If you're doing what you're supposed to be doing, you're walking the walk and you're doing everything that you know we want you to do. It's for their success anyway. It's for the client and patron success. So. But that's why we're all here, because sometimes we do have to step in. And I'm sure any other facility in town would do the same thing because you want to provide the best service and so sometimes you just have to, you know, step in.
[00:36:48] Speaker C: Oh, man.
[00:36:49] Speaker B: I feel like we're gonna have to have a couple more shows because I don't even think we've, like, hit the topic of or gone even into more stuff on this topic anyway. I'm just fried. My brain's fried because of good information. But we are gonna take a break. On that note, you're listening to Fits Be Tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone.
You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Whitney on 90.7, the capstone. Thank you guys so much for listening to our fitness tips. We've had a great show with Charles and Dee, our coordinators over at University Recreation. But we're talking during the break of maybe some advice that you guys could provide if you're. If our listeners are interested in coming over to the rec center or trying it out. Like, we're always willing to give people guest passes just to try out our services.
So for what kind of advice do you guys have for our listeners?
[00:37:51] Speaker D: Yeah, sure. Sure. So sure. There we go.
So I would say if you're interested at all in personal training, first off is to reach out to me. I'd be more than happy. My office door is always open and I love just being able to sit down and talk to people about this, you know. Is personal training for you? I would say for most people, personal training probably is for them. You know, if you're struggling to maintain a regular exercise schedule, if you have a certain goal in mind. But I would say the first step is to just reach out and talk to me because I feel like if we sit down, we chat about it, we can determine exactly what you're looking for. And maybe, you know what, maybe group exercise classes is something you should start with instead of personal training. But I would say, for the most part, just reaching out. I will also say that we do offer fitness conferences, consultations. So that's something that we offer that is not as a huge financial commitment. It gives you a chance to sit down with a trainer and kind of work out what you're wanting to accomplish and decide if this is something for you. And then we also have packages of different sizes. So if you're not sure, start small and just see if that works for you. You know, get just four sessions and see how it goes.
[00:38:53] Speaker B: I think starting small is the key. And, you know, in my yoga world, I always think about letting go of expectations because sometimes this goes back into goals. Like we have all these expectations of what it is and just kind of let it go and just experience it. Yeah. Dee, what about you?
[00:39:09] Speaker C: Well, I think that it's important to touch on that the intimidation factor of coming into a gym is real for a lot of people. And that's why, you know, I'm going to preach this till I'm blue in the face, that Group X is the perfect world for any of you that are experiencing that, because you don't have to know what you're doing at all.
You can come in and it's free to you if you have a membership at the rec. So what's really nice is you can keep on trying until you find something that is the perfect fit for you. Whether it's a specific class that you're gonna hold on to or a specific instructor in the multiple classes that they teach, there's no reason to not keep trying until you find one. There's no financial component to it at all. One of our instructors on staff, every time she teaches, she closes out by saying, you know, give me three times. Give me three times that you're gonna keep coming. And then if we're not meant to be, you can. She'll break up with you.
No hard feelings, it's not you, it's me kind of thing. And so that's. And it's been really successful for her because it is a piece that people listen to. And three different times, you kind of form that habit and you see what works with you. And there are so many different classes to try that I think that there's a place for everybody. And I think just don't give up on yourself and just, you know, give yourself that option of what fits for you.
[00:40:24] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. As. As a patron who has partaken in group X, I will say, the first time I tried a day's class, like, it took a couple more tries.
[00:40:35] Speaker B: Whose class did you take?
[00:40:36] Speaker A: Adam?
No, it was not. Definitely not Adam. And I would like to take his. Although I feel like his would be so intense. I might.
[00:40:44] Speaker B: He's just intense in general.
[00:40:45] Speaker A: I'm just not a very.
[00:40:46] Speaker B: It's for everybody.
I know, but.
[00:40:49] Speaker A: No, but just the fact that there is such a variety that's there. And then I think, you know, Charles, you also alluded to the fact that, you know, starting small, I think, you know, people probably have different perspectives or personal ideas of how long a relationship with a personal trainer could be. But I think that really depends on the individual and what their goals are and what they're trying to accomplish by working with a personal trainer. Is it just someone to teach them how to effectively lose use equipment? Are they trying to make it results based?
[00:41:19] Speaker B: You know, so, yeah, and that's one thing I think we try to do. And I had a conversation with a student last week about.
She was curious about getting a trainer and she wanted. It wasn't meant to be this long, ongoing thing. She just literally was like, I just want to learn how to use the equipment and get in the gym. And I was like, well, then four sessions is where you need to be. You sign up for four, you get in there, you're good to go. And I think that knowing that there doesn't have to be an expectation, I think is great.
[00:41:48] Speaker D: Yeah. I think, Whitney, you mentioned this at the beginning, but one thing that really just separates us, it sets us apart from commercial fitness as a whole, is that we are uniquely here for our community, for our students, for our faculty and staff. We are here for them. And so everything that we do is really focused around what can we do to get them to come into the gym and to get them to live healthier lifestyle. That is our biggest focus.
And I would say that's pretty unique.
[00:42:11] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a good. That's a good ending. Sound bite.
[00:42:14] Speaker B: And we're done.
[00:42:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I'm like. And mic drop. But. No but. De Charles, thank you both for being with Whitney and I today. And you have to promise us that you will come back.
[00:42:25] Speaker C: Yeah, thanks for having us.
[00:42:27] Speaker A: Wonderful. Wonderful. Well, y', all, it's been.
[00:42:30] Speaker B: It's a wrap.
[00:42:30] Speaker A: Yes. It's been an afternoon, but we cannot wait to see you guys next week. We are going to be continuing conversations related to physical health and fitness and wellness in general. But enjoy your week. Stay warm. You have been listening to Fit to be tied with Shuna and Whitton on 90.7 the capstone.
[00:43:04] Speaker C: It.
