Loyalty and Integrity

ABsolute Fitness & Personal Training in New Hamburg is one of my favourite places. For more than four years it's been the venue of innumerable mini triumphs and failures, especially over the past 16 months while I've been training there five times a week.

I'm fortunate to have a fantastic personal trainer, Paul French, who has been programming my training since September 2007. I've gone from 17% body fat to 12%; from struggling to complete a push-up properly, to being annoyed with myself because I could only deadlift 340lb with imperfect form. Sure, I'm the one who's doing all the hard work, but Paul's the reason I can do it (plus he checks up on my blog to offer advice - in his own time). He makes me believe I can improve every single day when I train and that I can push through the pain. When that voice in my head tells me to quit, I know I can push harder. A good - no, a great personal trainer builds mental as well as physical strength.

So when I heard one of the gym's clients had fired her trainer, I was curious. Then I heard how and why she did it, and I got pissed. With a capital "f".

Said client recently placed second in a fitness competition, due in no small part to the dedication, imagination and expertise of her trainer. Prior to this, the client had never entered a fitness contest, let alone made it to the podium, so to go from nothing to a silver medal is a major accomplishment. And how does she reward the person who made it possible? Fire him. Not to his face. Not in person. But to a coworker. By phone.

That's cowardly behaviour, and it's reprehensible as it demonstrates disloyalty and a lack of integrity. She claims that her trainer can't take her to the next level. Well, good luck getting there at a big box gym. (All credit to her former trainer, who has handled the situation with good grace. After all, when you tread in dog shit, there's no point jumping up and down on it to punish it.)

Speaking of big gyms, recently I've been dismayed at local people I know who are joining a new establishment that will be opening soon in Waterloo. They're pumping their dollars into big out-of-town chain businesses, rather than supporting independents that are closer to home. Sure, at ABsolute Fitness I don't get towel service, a smoothie bar, nor a cappuccino. What I do get is stronger, fitter and healthier, which is exactly what I expect from a gym. Hanging from the ceiling by a big, pink elastic band is a gimmick that will get boring very quickly. Give me tried and tested fitness techniques that actually work any day.

Most importantly, spending money outside your community adds to the stress on our local companies as they struggle in the current economic climate. Supporting local enterprises means the community as a whole will thrive. Besides, we all love small, unique and independent businesses - the book stores, the restaurants, the gift shops and, of course, the gyms. Who loves Rogers, Wal-Mart or KFC?