TRAINER SPOTLIGHT: ROBYN MORRIS
Can you tell us a little bit about your background personally and professionally?
Well, I am a graduate of the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a Criminal Justice degree. I’ve been married to my husband for little over 11 and ½ years. Flash forward a few years, a move up to Jacksonville and not knowing what I really wanted to do, I started getting into running and working out. I had always “semi worked out”, but I was never the sporty person and it always seemed like it was something I “had to do”. It wasn’t until I started running in different 5K’s and really pushing myself in the gym, that I really found that competitive edge. From there I became addicted to how good I was feeling and enjoying the stress relief it provided. That’s when I thought to myself, why don’t I do this for a living? So back to school I went, and became a certified personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and started working here at Definition Fitness in 2012.
Tell us a little about your own personal training style or preferred methods?
I personally love strength training with functional movements and Olympic lifts. I enjoy anything leg related and feeling that burn (squats, lunges, or deadlifts). I usually rotate through the week on different areas of the body or movements and run about 4 miles every other day (3-4 times). I prefer to spice it up (so I don’t get bored) with a little bit of HITT or circuit training too. That way it combines strength training with some type of aerobic/high intensity exercise.
However lately, it probably hasn’t been as intense as I’d like. I guess I’ll go ahead and put this public announcement out there, “I am pregnant with my first little baby” and as a personal trainer I knew stopping working out was never an option, maybe a change up but never stopping. It definitely has been an eye opening experience to say the least, from seeing my run times diminish, to just being a little more winded than usual and tired. However, knowing everything that I was taught in my pre/post partum training cert., I knew that as long as I listened to my body and didn’t try anything new that I haven’t done before becoming pregnant, my baby and I would both benefit from keeping up with my training in the long run. To this day I am still maintaining being active running and strength training and feel great! Now a day women are encouraged to continue training because it can help boost your energy, sleep better, reduce discomfort, prepare for labor, reduce stress, improve self image, and help get your body back into shape post baby. I am excited and looking forward to my own experiences to come…the good and the tough. I believe this will only help me learn and grow as a trainer and hopefully help me to help others that are on their own different journeys.
So how do you train your clients and why do you believe in personal training?
Usually training programs for my clients are dependent on their fitness assessments and goals. Since I believe in training for functional movements, I tend to incorporate those types of movements that we can all benefit from like squatting down properly, picking up heavy equipment or kids up properly. I like to have clients consistently perform certain major compound movements, like squats, deadlifts, presses, and core on a regular basis so I can see how they improve. Also I like using supplementary exercises (cardio, burpees, box jumps, kb swings, step ups) to throw in, to mix it up and keep them moving. I believe in personal training, because we all struggle with something in our lives and if I can help in some way be that tool to help a client achieve a fitness goal, then it (they) are worth it. Whether its getting them to run/walking their first 5K, perform their first squat properly, or excel them in a lift they already perform but need to take it to the next level, or just being that support system when they don’t have that and need it to reach that goal, I believe in being that for my client. As personal trainers we have a responsibility to help educate, direct, and lead by example, that being healthy doesn’t have to be difficult you just have to want that for yourself and be committed to making that change.