My Fast & Fit Journey: Robbie Lehman - Part 2
Part 2: Initial Assessment and Goals
There I was in Coach Mike’s office, with my shirt off, and he was pinching my belly with some plastic object.
Not going to lie, I was excited but also a bit nervous for my initial assessment. As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, I’m far from where I want to be with my fitness after suffering a broken wrist playing basketball. But, in order to get to where I want to be, it’s important to take the time to get a full scope of where things currently stand. Measurement is going to be a key part of the training process.
Anyone who begins a training program with Fast & Fit Coaching will undergo an initial assessment, which goes like this:
Goals and Info
First, Coach Mike asked about my fitness goals, and other things such as injury history, diet, sleep patterns, and more while he takes notes. Personally, my goal is to lose my belly fat and improve my overall upper body strength. Can you say, beach bod?
Body Measurements
The next step is taking body measurements to get a baseline of where the athlete starts in their Fast & Fit journey. This is where Coach Mike used the plastic pinchers to grab some skin in places like my stomach, chest, triceps, back, obliques, and quads. A tape measure is also used to record the circumference of biceps, chest, stomach, and quads as well. It was super quick and I was able to put my shirt back on!
Strength Testing
Simple strength testing follows, as Coach Mike pushed and pulled arms and legs as the I attempted to resist. This gives him an understanding of where an athlete is strong or weak, and will factor into the program he designs and where to start. I also did 10 easy push-ups so he could check out my form there.
Running Form
I hopped on the treadmill as Coach Mike studied how I walked at a 3.0 pace. Next he had me jog at whatever was a comfortable speed for me, which I put at 7.0. He took several videos from the side and back, normal speed and slo-mo, and we timed my pace. I learned that my pace is super slow - I don’t strike my foot to the ground properly or often enough, and this is most likely the source of some of my knee pain. Looking forward to that being gone! (FYI: F&FC offers Race Training for those strictly looking to improve in the running department.)
That’s it! Assessment complete in less than 45 minutes, and it was not physically taxing at all. Coach Mike even made it fun by showing me the videos of my running form. Piece of cake.
Post Assessment Thoughts
Honestly, it’s impressive how quickly Coach Mike can deduce certain things about an athlete’s body from such a quick look at running or doing a few push- ups. But that’s what makes him and the rest of the F&FC trainers so good at what they do. (PS: Each trainer goes through their own full 12-week program complete with assessment and everything when they start).
Of course, nobody and no body is the same, and every athlete will have different needs in their training. I’m excited to have Coach Mike build my own customized training program, based on my initial assessment, to go and crush my goals.
For those of you reading, I’m sure you have reservations on putting yourself through an assessment like this. I certainly did. My brain was definitely all over the place. Like I said, it was mostly a mix of nervousness, excitement, but also some internal judgement crept in. I just kept telling myself that this is normal, and the important thing is that I'm here. And that’s how we all should look at it. Choosing to make this dedication to yourself and your body, and that’s the first step. For me, now the fun begins and progress is around the corner! Check back soon for Part 3.
Cheers!
Robbie
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