A Typical Day in the Life of a Trainer

By Angela deJong, Acacia Fitness Inc., Edmonton Canada (www.myhealthyweightlossplan.com)

Many of my clients are curious about what a typical day is like for a trainer. I admit living a life as a trainer (especially an in-home trainer) is not a very conventional way of life. We are on the road a lot and still need to find time for working out, paper work, session planning, and of course family and friend time. Having said this, I think most of us would not want it any other way. I personally love the variety in my days and the change in scenery I get from moving from one place to the next. We are very busy people though, so I always say that if trainers can fit working out in, anyone can! Below is the run down of yesterday (this would be a very typical day). This quick outline will give you an idea of what to eat, when to eat, and how you can fit exercise into your day. In time, healthy habits just become a natural part of your life (I know that sounds so cliché…but it is true). Remember, there is no such thing as a “perfect” day all you can do is your best…and enjoy it!

  1. 5:45am The alarm went off (It is summer right now in Edmonton, Canada so the sun is already up, therefore, I am extra pumped to get going!)
  2. 6:00am Pre-workout snack (a 250mL glass of water and one piece of toast with 1Tbsp of natural PB)
  3. 6:15am Cardio workout – running with a good friend (lots of water)
  4. 7:00am Shower and get ready for work
  5. 7:30am Breakfast (250mL water, 2 poached eggs, 1 toast with tsp Jam, ½ cup blueberries, coffee) My husband calls this the “prison breakfast” because it looks so bland…I love it though!
  6. 8:30 am – Client #1 and #2
  7. 10:00am – Client #3
  8. 11:30 PM – Lunch with my session planning book (this is when I pre-plan my sessions/fitness assessments/etc with clients (Spinach salad with a chicken breast and berries, multiple waters…it was a hot one on the patio)
  9. 1:00 PM – Hit one small bucket of balls at the driving range (My golf game has been lacking this year, I need the practice!)
  10. 2:00 PM- Client #4
  11. 3:30 PM – Hit the gym for a weight workout…I ended up joining a kettlebell class a friend was putting on instead (quick snack on the way over to the gym (1/2 apple and 15 almonds, 250mL water). Note to self: Eat Snack Earlier!
  12. 4:15 PM – Shower and get ready
  13. 5:00 PM – Client #5
  14. 6:15 PM – return phone calls and grocery shop for dinner
  15. 7:30 PM – Dinner with family (mango salsa on a chicken breast, grilled asparagus, and bell peppers, 250mL water, berries for dessert) Best part of dinner: Husband cooked!
  16. 8:30 PM - Family time…we watched part of the golf that was taped on Sunday (Tiger’s win over Harrington)
  17. 10:00 PM - Plan for next day/get lunch ready and put everything out in advance (I admit, I tend to forget things if I do not do this)
  18. 10:30 PM – Go to Sleep

(Yahh…recovery time!)