SUCCESS-STORIES: NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN
STEEL Team
April 26, 2024
Even though the idea of personalised training is not new, the Vietnamese fitness industry has been slow to fully adopt it. The #Success-events series of articles by STEEL is based on real events and aims to show how personal trainers and clients with different physical issues, personalities, and ways of life can work together and communicate. It mostly has to do with how we find the best training environment, meet the needs of every customer, and make sure that everyone has the most success possible. Since no two people are exactly the same, there is no one solution that works for everyone.
There is a common misconception that fitness centres cater solely to youth because according to some people, one must possess the strength of a young adult in order to lift substantial weights. However, good health is a goal for individuals of all ages. In recent years, an increasing number of elderly people have started exercising at gyms to improve their health. Ms. Anu, a 50-year-old who had a job in Saigon before, is a good example.
In the second episode of the #Success-Stories series, we hear from Coach Ngoc Dung, who helped Ms. Anu throughout her 8-month training journey in Vietnam. Coach Dung will show how she overcame her worries and transformed herself for a healthy and positive life
Customer Profile:
Age: 50 years old
Training Goals: Weight loss, fat reduction
Training Duration: 8 months - from October 2021 to June 2022
Initial Physical Condition: Overweight, risk of fatty liver, following a vegetarian diet
Ms. Anu was overweight when she began training at STEEL, at 92kg. At 50 years old, this weight caused health problems. For instance, her knees strained due to the upper weight. Furthermore, her most recent doctor's visit revealed a high risk of having high cholesterol.
Ms. Anu said that she maintains a vegetarian diet, avoiding meat but still consuming eggs and dairy products. Following her initial food plan, I observed that her meals contained high amounts of carbohydrates. On weekends, she also enjoyed drinking wine and eating cheese and fried food.
Since she primarily worked from home, she rarely went to the gym. However, she made sure to stay active by swimming, walking, and engaging in mild physical hobbies on a regular basis to prevent herself from sitting for long periods.
Ms.. Anu's main purpose was to lose weight and body fat in order to live a better life and avoid health problems as she grew older.
As a gym newbie who had never used weights before, Ms.. Anu was initially worried about having to practice hard exercises. She was understandably frustrated because her weight and lack of power had already limited her everyday mobility. As a result, I decided to focus on exercises suited for her level, such as box squats or resistance bands rather than immediately lifting weights at the beginning of her training.
I saw that she was becoming used to the movements after about two or three weeks of this. I started with simple exercises - using very light dumbbells like goblet squats, step-ups, and pulldowns using very light dumbbells so as not to shock her
In addition to gym sessions, I promoted daily walks of 5000–6000 steps. Within 3-4 months, she was gradually increasing this to 10,000 steps per day, burning more calories and experiencing faster weight loss. Most positively, she developed herself a morning walking habit without my reminders.
In terms of nutrition, her old eating habits showed that, like many vegetarians, she wasn't getting enough protein to develop muscle every day. In order to assist her in achieving her health goals, I advised her to eat more nutritious foods and cut back on fatty and fried foods while she trained with plant-based whey.
Upon careful observation, I determined that Anu possessed a strong upper body. As a result, I concentrated our sessions on back, arm, and shoulder exercises to boost her confidence and motivation.
Initially, I created a full-body plan to evenly lose fat. Nevertheless, Anu later mentioned her desire to improve her belly area so she could feel more self-assured in form-fitting outfits. This reminds me to put the needs of the clients above all and never presume what's best for them. If what I want for them differs from their needs, over time the client will lose motivation as they are unable to achieve what they expect
After discussing with Ms.. Anu, I adjusted our workout routine by adding abdominal work four times per week instead of two. Because of her old age and size, choosing simple exercises was critical for minimising back pain while still stimulating core muscles.
A significant concern for overweight elderly people is the increased pressure on their knee joints, which makes lower-body workouts like squats and weight lifting difficult. As a result, I took great care in teaching Anu the appropriate technique for these motions before gradually introducing light weights. In order to determine the best training plan for her needs and skills, I paid great attention to her reaction, and post-workout pain during sessions, and I listened to her feedback to continuously change the difficulty level.
After 8 months of training, Ms.. Anu could complete good squats. She lost weight and measurements in the thighs, stomach, and arms. The most significant change, however, was in her cholesterol readings. The results of her doctor's examination surprised her even because of the dramatic drop in her levels and no risk of high cholesterol. That exercise had a positive influence on her health
Her mental health also improved remarkably. Ms.. Anu, like many others her age, was initially worried about going to the gym, fearing she wasn't capable. However, after only a short time, her confidence gradually grew. She was willing to tackle greater weights without hesitation. Even after returning to India, she maintains an active daily fitness programme. This is what trainers strive for: assisting clients in realising their entire potential to live a healthy lifestyle beyond gym sessions. The idea is to strengthen lifelong behaviours rather than relying on gym.
Thank you Coach Dung for your sharing!
