my friend wants me to be her "coach"

[ai_08]

last night at dinner with a good friend of mine we got on the subject of weight and working out and whatnot. she knows that i work out and so she asked if i'd help her get started. i said sure thing... but i have no idea what to do. i mean, i know my body, so it's not hard to figure out what i need to do. i love running, so... i run. a lot. i told her what i do, and she didn't seem very interested in that, but still wants me to help her.

so what do i do? :confused:

[Starblossom]

Did she specify what she wants help with? I mean, does she just want you to help motivate her, or does she want you to give her information, or does she want you to create a workout schedule for her? Try asking her what her goals are and what fitness activities she would be willing to try. I think a good first step for anyone is identifying specifically what they want to accomplish, and setting a realistic time to reach it by, and then create a workout schedule based on that goal. For example, I want a six-pack stomach, and since I'm pretty lazy i'd set my deadline for the end of December. Therefore I would do a combination of cardio (to lose extra fat on my stomach) and ab exercises to strengthen the muscles.

If your friend just wants to be told exactly what to do, she'd probably be better off with a personal trainer....but even personal trainers will ask the client about their goals so they know what they are trying to help them with.

[ai_08]

thanks so much :)

[Parth]

I think motivation from your friends or family is so much more valuable than from a trainer that you don't know. However, the opposite could be true. You seem to have a friend who trusts you. So play around with it. You don't need to be right on the mark about everything. Start her off with a basic routine that meets her goals. Or you can even start her off with something that's similar to your plan.

- Parth

[bluesand]

personally , I would tell her to book in with a personal trainer for say three months .
Its important for a newbie in any thing to get the basic's right first (you can still train together running or weights ) and then when she has the basics , you two can share and train together

[theabsurd]

Hi there ai_08:

I think Starblossom made some excellent points regarding goals. There needs to be a game plan before anyone jumps into a workout routine. One of the best websites I've seen around is http://www.peertrainer.com. Its free to join and allows individuals to gather virtually and monitor their progress w/ meal logs and workout logs.

In addition, perhaps you could both go to the gym during the same time, even if you have different routines. If you run outside, perhaps you could do the eliptical or treadmill a couple days a week, to help motivate your friend and boost morale. Most gyms will have a trainer go around with new members and show them how equipment works, if that's something she's interested in. My roommate goes to LA fitness, and mentioned there was no contract, so if you have those in your area it could be a good place to start. I'm not much into contracts, but they do hold the person accountable for the term. If she invested $$ in a membership or home equipment, perhaps she'd be more likely to commit as well.

I think once your friend becomes more confident in herself & progress, she may feel confident working out on her own. A solid start and support from someone who's active will definitely help her reach that point. Many local libraries have excellent workout videos and books on nutrition ( I can speak for mine!). That's also an option, too. Ie: on Tuesdays & Thursdays we'll do abs together.

Good luck w/ everything!!!