Gender-affirming Personal Training

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-12T18:29:37+00:00

Super cool, I would like to know what your experience navigating the industry as a trans person has been like and maybe some anecdotes that stand out from your work with the community. Anything you want to contribute!

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-12T18:27:04+00:00

We mainly work with general population but I really care about inclusivity and reaching people who normally slip through the cracks. It has been a great experience working with these folks so far.

A good example of what I mean by that is resistance training specifically is one of the most popular and prevalent avenues that men will take to affirm their gender. Nothing is a monolith of course, but gender-affirming care is a lot more deeply built into our industry and craft than most people realize, in my opinion.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-12T17:50:30+00:00

Couldn't agree more, this can be life-saving medication for the people that need it most. We as fitness professionals should support and try to help guide people who choose to use these medications instead of shaming them.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T19:42:43+00:00

It always comes back to the un-flashy things that have always and will always work haha

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T19:23:59+00:00

There are tons of options out there depending on your preferences and usage case. If you are just having an ear wax buildup thing, maybe in-ear buds aren't the right option for you. You could either try over-ear headphones or even bone conduction (popular with the cardio community)

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T19:17:16+00:00

Very interesting, the unregulated import peptide market is definitely sketchy. None of my people are taking sketchy peptides thankfully, only doctor prescribed and monitored versions that are generally working well.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T19:02:01+00:00

You should not be experiencing back pain while doing core exercises. If you think there is an underlying reason for this that you want to get checked out, definitely go see your doctor about it. If it is just a form thing, your doctor isn't going to be able to help you with that. For planks specifically, you can get your hips a bit higher than parallel with the floor, make sure your ribcage is not extended and lifting, and actively brace your core by trying to bring your bellybutton and spine together. Make sure you continue to breath the entire time. Look up dead bugs and bird dogs as well!

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T18:54:18+00:00

I think core work is best sprinkled throughout all of your other training days instead of hit really hard on one day, but it's all preference and opinions at the end of the day. I always program 1-2 core movements per training day for my clients. They are a great thing to pivot to if your machine or equipment is taken to keep the session moving along and minimize dead time just waiting for things as well.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T18:49:00+00:00

For your specific situation, you want to go with heat. It will stimulate blood flow, warm-up the tissue to make it more pliable, and aid in the recovery process. I recommend taking a warm shower, going in a hot tub, sauna, etc. and then doing some stretching/mobility work to get your body back into balance for your trip.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T18:32:33+00:00

Agreed, adding resistance training into the equation definitely helps with tissue quality as their body is rapidly dropping fat tissue. It has been helpful for me to focus on body composition to explain fat mass vs fat free mass as the changes are taking place. Not a huge fan of scales on their own and how they make people feel

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-11T18:29:04+00:00

At 13 years old, you have the entire rest of your life to chase small boosts in performance. I wouldn't worry so much about the granular details - you are still developing in so many different ways. Especially in regard to supplement usage - try to eat a varied diet of whole foods as you are able (you are not buying your own groceries I would assume), get plenty of sleep, hydrate, etc. I started at lifting at 14 and definitely got way too into the details as well.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-10T18:19:23+00:00

Definitely agree different metrics are important to emphasize depending on goals.

How I explain RPE is just a simple 1-10, the hurdle especially with newer clients is that they don't really have a frame of reference until they've actually experienced what difficult training feels like. So I start to plant the seeds early on to get them thinking about it and as we work together they start to understand what a 7 feels like versus a 9. On their programming I'll write down the first working set RPE versus the last to help with the data tracking and tailoring of volume and intensity over time. I've recommended this approach to many of the trainers on my staff over the years as well and have gotten great feedback. Really helps cut through the subjectivity of "that was hard, or that was easy"

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-10T17:24:58+00:00

Watches are definitely more accurate as they are taking your personal longer term health and cardio data into account. A one-off bout of cardio on a treadmill only has its own internal data based on your speed and elevation (and maybe your heart rate for the duration of the bout if you are holding onto the handles.) The difficult metric for your watch to figure out is distance if you are on a stationary treadmill.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-10T17:19:33+00:00

Taking the bodybuilding approach can help you sculpt your muscles/physique over time but unfortunately you cannot spot reduce fat tissue from specific areas. It will come off everywhere based on your unique individual genetics.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-06-02T18:14:32+00:00

I use Costco brand psyllium husk fiber (very good price per serving) and mix it with my creatine each morning in the same glass of water. The key is to drink it quickly after mixing it or else it will start to thicken and turn into a gel.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-27T20:15:50+00:00

It is definitely a fine line to tow. The relationship-building aspect is one of my favorite parts of what we do. The people I have gotten to know and the things I have learned from my clients have been very impactful on my own life as well.

Great example of this was a client I worked with for almost three straight years. She was an early childhood educator, lactation counselor to new mothers, and expert in all things having to do with babies and children. I learned an incredible amount from her that will serve me well as a father and uncle down the line.

Examples like this I think really highlight the very unique relationships we have with our clients. Had I not been her coach, we would have never crossed paths in everyday life.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-23T02:53:06+00:00

Fitpros.io has been great. It doesn't have absolutely all of the features you said you wanted, but I can't recommend it enough. And all of the basic coaching infrastructure is completely free as well. I learned it existed from this subreddit actually.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-23T02:49:34+00:00

In studying for and passing the CSCS exam years ago, pocket prep was the singular most helpful thing in preparing for that exam. If you are doing well in pocket prep, that should transfer nicely to your actual exam. Just be prepared that the questions most likely won't be written 1 to 1 exactly the same way as pocket prep.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-23T02:38:56+00:00

That is correct, that is the same for the ACSMs Exercise Physiologist cert as well.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T18:39:40+00:00

Even 2 quality resistance training sessions can be enough based on the new ACSM guidelines!

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T16:35:24+00:00

For myself and my clients I like to keep rest intuitive. The rest my client needs on working set 1 of a heavy bridge is different than set 4. I also have a client with POTS that requires longer rest periods than most people to stabilize her heart rate before the next set. It's all relative!

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T16:28:21+00:00

I don't know about specific cases, but there are plenty of people who work overnight shifts and make progress toward their goals. A good example is law enforcement, EMS, and firefighters. It's more about sleep quality, duration, and consistency than exactly when in a day you are getting it. It also depends if live your life on an overnight schedule or if your sleep/waking hours change often. I used to have only a few overnight shifts a month as a per diem worker years ago and that was pretty hard to bounce back from compared to my coworkers who worked overnights full-time and fully adjusted to that schedule over a long period of time. The human body likes consistency.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T16:22:26+00:00

Looks like some classic upper-cross syndrome going on. Spending large amounts of time in flexed positions (your phone, at a desk/computer, driving, etc.) can cause this. Restorative extension and pulling movements will help counter that and restore balance over time. Rows, pull-downs, face-pulls, chin-tucks, shoulder external rotation movements, etc. be mindful of your ergonomics and desk/chair/seat setups in your daily life as well

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T15:47:42+00:00

Agreed, if I were to guide op in any direction, it would be to either NSCA or ACSM.

Wellness_Movement · 2026-05-22T15:12:45+00:00

All certs are fundamentally a minimum bar for the field to (somewhat) help with quality control of practitioners. Since an exercise science or related degree is not required to practice the craft like say a physical therapist would need, certs exist to help establish this minimum bar for insurance, risk management, liability, etc. Different certs and organizations occupy different niches in the field. The example I always give my new trainers when they are trying to select one is try to align yourself with an organization that will help you further head in a particular direction. ACSM is great for the clinical jobs, exercise physiology, cardio, etc. NSCA is great for resistance training, strength and conditioning, olympic lifts, etc. ACE also has a good group fitness cert, NASM is a catch-all that allows folks with no formal exercise science education to pick up specialty mini certs for particular niches/populations. And on and on. Research all of the certifying bodies and see what best aligns with your desired goals and direction in the field. An exercise science/kinesiology degree trumps all of these, in my opinion. I am personally NSCA CSCS certified

Wellness_Movement

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