I could not do my job without my watch. I’m pretty detailed with my workouts, I track everything, and I program everything accordingly. I don’t want clients doing an exercise for 20 seconds without a clearlly defined purpose. If they are doing something for a few minutes at a time, I don’t want to have to search for a clock. And even for rest periods, I keep that pretty tight also. Rest is a critical component of exercise sessions and I want to know how exactly much rest a client needs so we can push the envelope and train aggressively.
My watch is a tool of the trade. It’s also a reminder of my standards. I’ve been thinking a lot about personal training. Sadly it doesn’t take a lot for a person to study for a few months and earn a personal training certification. My resume, on the other hand, includes and undergraduate degree (and minor) in the field along with a masters degree in kinesiology. I’m not out to change the personal training industry, but I’m out to promote myself and how I’m different than many other trainers. Excercise is a science and an art. With my watch, I’m constantly reminded to keep my programs scientifice. Know the numbers. Be disciplined with your workouts. Have a plan and stick to it. Then take those results and keept the challenge high and appropriate. You cannot manage what you do not measure.