Rogers 1

Jesseca Rogers

HLTH-290-001W

Prof. Curry

15 April 2019

More than Just Book-Smarts

I have always prided myself on being a good learner. I find innate joy in reading books

and articles that teach me new and exciting things, especially in the realm of physical fitness. As

such, my educational journey of obtaining my Associates Degree in Exercise Science has been

like a dream come true; to immerse myself in literature regarding the human body, movement,

and nutrition has been an amazing experience. But the learning process doesn’t end with books

and lectures – those are merely the beginning.

Benjamin Franklin once said “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve

me and I learn.” In the realm of personal training, hands on experience is a must in order to avoid

potentially injuring a client. For me, completing an internship based in the personal training

sector was the perfect opportunity to gather this important experience. Though I have happily

absorbed all obligatory printed and lecture material to obtain my degree, I knew that actual client

interaction and involvement was paramount in completing this educational opportunity.

Currently, I am a volunteer for the Caldwell branch of the Treasure Valley YMCA and I

have become very familiar with the vast range of clientele that engage with the personal training

staff in the facility. When reviewing potential sites for my internship, I could think of no better

place to complete the task; the YMCA would enable me to gain experience with a diverse
 Rogers 2

population and a wide range of situations. At the facility, a staff trainer named Chuck agreed to

allow me to complete my internship with him. Chuck prides himself in the fact that many of his

clients are the “broken” ones – clients that present very difficult and unique situations, clients

that many other people are unable to or uninterested in assisting. I knew that this was exactly the

situation I had hoped for. I desired something that would test the boundaries of my “book

learning” and make me think outside of the box. Being able to train clients in such a broad scope

ranging from athletic 20 somethings, to an almost 80 year old former carpenter with numerous

physical ailments, was something special that I was so proud to be a part of.

Overall, I feel extremely positive about my internship experience. The wide range of

clientele gave me such an amazing array of knowledge that I can actively apply in my own

career as a personal trainer. It was amazing to see the progress, pure determination, grit,

persistence in so many of the clients. Also, to see the blossoming of relationships and trust

between the client and trainer (and myself) was heartening.

This experience increased my professional “tool set” as I was educated not only on

traditional methods of training, but how to adapt activities for each client based on their

individual needs, both physically and emotionally. I was enabled to see that a client’s mental

health and wellbeing has an unbelievable impact on their training session and adherence to

prescribed exercises through the week. I was taught the importance of looking into a client’s past

to determine the appropriate regimen, and that one of the best things I can do as a trainer is to

really understand the client as a person – to look at their cues, reactions, and subtle changes in

demeanor. Though being given the tools regarding new training techniques and exercises was

important, I believe that the lessons I received concerning creating a deeper bond with the client

was my greatest take-away.

 Rogers 3

This amazing experience further solidified my choice to become a personal trainer. In no

way am I saying that everything was sunshine and rainbows--not every session was great with

every client. Watching a client struggle physically and emotionally is difficult; experiencing their

grief over a broken marriage, or injury, or family troubles, and seeing how it integrates into their

health left me feeling drained after some sessions. But watching them push through and find

some version of personal victory, no matter how seemingly small it was, is something that I

wouldn’t trade for the world.

Active learning experiences, such as with these internships, is essential to obtaining true

education. Opportunities like this enable the student to better adapt to the learning curve that is

inevitable when you study something new. These experiences empower us to safely put into

practice the skills that we have been so diligently pursuing in our studies. Being a good learner

isn’t just listening to a lecture or knowing what the books say, but rather, being able to put those

skills I’ve studied to actual use.