My Interview with @GymFreaksUK
PT in training - An interview with Emma Cooke
This week on the blog we are chatting to a personal trainer in training! Emma’s studying for her level 3 diploma in personal training so we caught up with her to hear a little about the process!
Q. Thanks for taking the time out of your studies to chat with us Emma, what part of your training are you on currently?
I'm on the diploma stage of my course so I've just passed my circuit assessment and next week I have outdoor fitness, only 3 weeks to go until I'm fully qualified.
Q. When did you begin your training and why did you decide that you wanted to become a personal trainer?
I started my course with TrainFitness in February this year. I'm not sure when the moment was that I decided to train as a PT, I always say to people that fitness is something I don't find easy, I think that's why I like it. I've always found myself enjoying things that challenge me.
We were always a really active family when we were kids, playing rounders and football and constantly out riding bikes with our mates. I wouldn't say I was naturally gifted at any kind of sport, I was half decent at football until hormones and being self conscious became a factor.
In recent years fitness and health has had a big impact on my family and perhaps that has been the thing that has encouraged me to just go for it.
Q. What’s been the hardest bit so far?
Until last week I'd have said the amount of anatomy and physiology content you have to revise and learn and understand. Specifically planes of movement and muscles! However, after a 3 hour indoor circuit assessment, I'm tempted to say that! In two weeks I have indoor cycling assessment, I think that has the potential to be the toughest week of them all.
Outside of the course itself I'd say the time management is the tough bit, I'm on a part time course but one day weekends have taken their toll. I've also had to decline a lot of invites and nights out, Friday night's in and early get-ups on a Saturday are the norm. I'm on my course until 5pm, one day off and then I'm back to the full time job.
First thing I'm planning to do the weekend after the course finishes is have a glass of wine on the Friday night and a massive lie in on the Saturday!
Q. What are you most looking forward to about qualifying?
Getting in the gym and training clients. I can't wait to put into practice what I've learnt and start to feel like I'm
really helping someone to make positive changes in their lives. That to me is what being a PT is all about.
Q. How much time does it take a week?
Well the course is 10am – 5pm every Saturday (minus bank holiday weekends) but you need to add on top of that time for paperwork and revision. I'd say around exam time I was doing at least a couple of hours every evening revision. I even booked a few days off work in the end just so I could get a decent block of time to revise properly.
It will really depend on how organised you are but don't expect on a part time course that will be enough time. On top of the course material I spent time looking things up online when they didn't quite make sense to me, Google will become your new best friend. Just don't believe everything you read!
Q. You write a blog weights & wine, has this helped you on your fitness journey?
It has in a lot of ways, it has introduced me to loads of lovely people, including PT's who have all been crazy supportive. It has also helped me reflect a little bit on exactly how far I have come and how much I have learnt. Its easy to forget that you started from scratch. It has also helped me to be accountable, I've found myself almost reporting in to the people who've been following the journey with me.
In a lot of ways starting a blog at the same time as a PT course is insanity, it really is. My ambitions for blogging and how much I will put into the website have really never been met. A full time job, part time study, social media, blog and a personal life they really don't leave much time for one another. I have tried to keep it as much fun as I can and I hope to really grow that once my course has finished and I'm fully qualified.
Thank you Emma for taking the time out of her (very) busy schedule to answer our questions, and good luck with the rest of your course!
You can follow Emma on her blog at www.weightsandwine.co.uk and on Twitter @Weights_wine
If you are a personal trainer and would like to be featured on the blog then please get in touch at Hannah@gymfreaks.co.uk