A client of mine gave me the coolest t-shirt ever right before Christmas. All it said on the front was: “Shut Up and Squat!” What made this even cooler was the fact that she’s an avid runner training for her second Boston Marathon (and hopefully her last….wink wink, nudge nudge).
Needless to say, I wear the shirt proudly. But it did get me thinking on how most people just need to shut up in general when they’re in the gym training.
I have a rule with clients I train. No talking during a set. My rationale is if they’re able to hold an entire conversation while performing a set, the weight is obviously not challenging enough for them. It never ceases to amaze me when I overhear other trainers discussing last night’s episode of American Idol with their clients in the middle of a set. No wonder they still look the same now as they did two years ago!
Conversely I also have a rule with the younger athletes I train. I don’t want to see them on their cell phones while they’re in the facility. Unless it’s Jessica Biel or the hot cheerleader from the show “Heros” calling them, there’s no excuse for them to be on their phone.
And while I’m at it, the same goes to you ladies who like to have “gossip hour” with your friends while on the treadmill or elliptical machine. Here’s a rule: if you’re able to sing the “Star Bangled Banner” without having to catch your breath, you need to shut up and increase the intensity.
I should try to lobby some politician to make this into a law. Maybe Hillary Clinton can help me out. He’s pretty cool. I can call it the “Just Shut Up” law, and it will have to be posted in the main entrance to every fitness center and gym in the US. I’m totally going to bust out my crayons and Harry Potter stationary. You know, to make it look professional.
