On Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had people ask me what I do for a living. Full of pride, I say, ” I’m a Personal Trainer, and Boxing Coach” The next question however has caught me off guard, and you would think after hearing it a few times I’d be more prepared. “Yes, but what is your real job?”. A bit confused, I repeat my original answer, now riddled in doubt, and said more as a question than a statement, “I’m a Personal Trainer, and Boxing Coach?” – Like I said, I’ve been asked this a few times over the last couple weeks, and even had an individual push the insult further by saying ” Must be nice to not have to work for a living”.
Here’s the thing, I work hard, damn hard for a living. And not only do I work hard, I lead my clients and students by example on how I live my life – what is ‘realer’ than that? This shit ain’t easy, if it was everybody would be walking around in shape, and healthy, but instead we live in a society that is quite literally stressing itself to death. Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.
There is a ton of information out there on how to eat right, and get healthy. Some of it good, and some of it not so much, so how does the average person make sense of it all? They usually don’t, and end up getting sucked into a deeper stress vacuum trying to figure it out – enter shame, guilt, and feeling lost – wanting to change, but not having a clue where to start. This is where I was a few years ago, yes, ME – I understand it, because I’ve been in it. I worked in Finance and Insurance for 10 years – 10 years of my life working in an office, day after day, doing a job I didn’t like, because Mama taught me it’s best to have security…and benefits.
God Bless my Mama, and her heart – she wanted me to have a good life, and I do – but that meant stepping away from the conventional, safe, secure path, and blazing my own trail – Enter Iron Lion Training.
With the help of my Mentor, I took hold of my life, and started doing the things I actually enjoyed. I remember one chat where she asked me to list my strengths, and quite simply said, “Now go do more of that”, and off I went. This took a certain amount of bravery, but as you may have heard, I have the heart of a lion 😉
The thing I can say about taking control of your health, and this is from my own experience is its not as complicated as most people think. It’s doing basic things, consistently, and while most people want to get it done, they lack clarity on the path(s) they need to take. Enter the Personal Trainer.
My role as a Personal Trainer is to work with individuals, motivate them by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability. I measure their strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments, and educate them in many other aspects of wellness besides exercise, including general health and nutrition. There are no politics, negotiations or game playing – I keep it simple, I keep it real, my clients work hard for their successes, and I encourage, and guide them through the process, compassionately – It is not easy to change, but it is worth it. This is my job, my real job, my vocation, what I do for a living – it’s not always easy, but it is fulfilling work.
Overall I enjoy the job, because of it’s realness – it reminds me of Boxing. One of the reasons why I love the Sweet Science as much as I do, is you are usually rewarded for what you put into it – your focus, and your hard work. Boxing is a sport that you can’t play, once that bell rings, none of the talk, politics, non sense matters – its just you, your opponent, and the work you put in on display for all to see. You stay consistent with your training, you’ll see it in the ring, and like Personal Training, clients stay consistent with their programs, and dietary suggestions, and they will see the results in photos, the way their clothes fit, their weight, and how they feel.
I AM Steph Iron Lioness, I am a Personal Trainer, and Boxing Coach – I lead my clients and students to a better quality of life, and I lead from the front. I motivate, inspire, and empower others to be strong mentally, spiritually, and physically – that is my real job.
