The Right Trainer is Your Best Friend in Fitness

Big smiles after a productive training session with Susie!

By: TV Personality & Naturalist David Mizejewski

When I made the decision to embark on this fitness journey, I knew I needed to do more than just join VIDA and hope for the best. I knew I needed some guidance on the best workouts to get me to my goals, and on how to do them correctly. I also knew that I was going to need some coaching to keep my motivation up and to keep me accountable. That meant working with a personal trainer.

So I met with Lisa Lipscomb, VIDA’s Director of Personal Training & Nutrition. To help pair me with a trainer, Lisa asked me a lot of questions about my fitness goals, health issues, current activity level and fitness history–which I expected. But she also asked me a lot of questions about my personality, about what motivates me to do the things that I’m successful at in my life, what failure means to me, and how I cope with stress. I wasn’t expecting those kinds of questions, and at first it felt like I was talking to a therapist rather than a fitness expert.

I went along and shared with Lisa my honest self-assessment. I told her I’m a stereotypical Virgo: a little bossy (so I’m told), have Type A tendencies and can be particular about things. I need to know all the details about whatever it is I’m doing, and having a complete understanding of how things work is really motivating to me. I’m most successful when I feel like I’m in control and I tend to avoid doing things that I can’t accomplish perfectly, even if I know I need to do them. At that point it started to become clear why Lisa was asking these things. There are many personal training philosophies, and many different personal trainers at VIDA, all highly qualified. Lisa was asking those questions because wanted to pair me with a trainer whose personality and style would mesh well with mine—and she knocked it out of the park.

Enter personal trainer Susie Powell. I’ve only been working out with Susie for a few weeks but I can’t overstate what an incredible help she’s been to me. Knowing I’ve committed to a training session with Susie makes it really hard to bail on going to the gym. Susie is always positive and focuses on my accomplishments, not what I can’t do (yet). She is the opposite of a drill sergeant shouting orders at me, a style that many people find motivating but bossy me just doesn’t respond well to. Instead, Susie is my teacher and guide. In fact, she calls working out with her “fitness school” where she imparts her expertise about effective workouts to me. She answers all of my questions. She is patient when I flail and flop around trying to learn a new exercise. She’s always got an adaptation or alternate exercise at her fingertips when I can’t quite do something perfectly yet, both so I get in a good workout during our sessions, but also so I get that sense of accomplishment that’s so important for me to feel motivated. Working out with Susie has helped me get over the gym intimidation factor and feeling like I don’t know what I’m doing and am “that guy” doing everything wrong. She’s always positive and supportive. And that’s exactly what works for me. (Plus, she’s a Star Wars fan and cosplayed as Princess Leia for the premiere of The Last Jedi. My trainer is cooler than yours.)

So my advice is this: if you’re thinking about working out with one of VIDA’s personal trainer (you should) ask yourself the same questions Lisa asked me. There are so many hurdles to overcome when when making the commitment to fitness. Busy schedules are one, and knowing the best way to work out is another. Knowing what motivates you and what doesn’t is just as important. Getting matched with the right personal trainer makes all the difference and I couldn’t be happier with mine.

Interested in getting paired up with a trainer of your own? Take advantage of our January 50 pack promotion and receive two months of membership free!