I first started weight training back when I was in high school, under the guidance of my swimming and track coaches. I was reluctant to do it at first because I bought into the notion that, as a girl, lifting weights would make me “bulky.” But I trusted my coaches, who were proponents of building muscle to enhance performance, and when I saw my swimming and running times getting faster with the addition of weight training, I became a believer, too. I also just felt stronger overall, and to my surprise, weight training actually made me leaner.
In recent years, I haven’t weight trained as much as I did in the past. When I was in high school I followed the programs my coaches gave me, and they stayed on top of my progress, but it’s different now. These days I tend to get my strength training in almost as an afterthought, like at the tail end of a group exercise class. It’s definitely not the same as carving out time just for weight training. I guess I could blame the fact that I have more adult responsibilities now and less “me time,” but in reality that’s just a cop-out. I know that getting the body I really want (hello, high school abs) takes time, dedication and a major mindset shift. In other words, no more excuses.
This is where someone like Kevin Stamps comes in. He works at Dexter Training Concepts, a one-on-one personal training studio in North Providence, and he’s pretty no-nonsense about excuses. That’s not to say he doesn’t get it – you know, the fact that people are busy, stressed, tired and overworked – but it means that takes his job seriously. And his job is to keep his clients accountable while helping them achieve their fitness goals. When I went in for a training session with Kevin, I could tell right away that he’s dedicated to doing his job well. He said he puts in a lot of hours as a personal trainer – it’s his full-time job – but it’s because he’s passionate about helping his clients succeed.
We got started on a total-body weight training workout, and I realized I hadn’t bench pressed or done sets on a leg press machine in years. Weight lifting at my regular gym would entail navigating my way through a bunch of guys flexing in the mirror, but working out with Kevin gave me the chance to focus only on myself. It was nice to not have to worry about coming up with my own workout; I just followed Kevin’s lead as he took me though sets for my chest and back, shoulders, legs and abs, with some cardio intervals thrown in for good measure. When I finished the workout I was spent - in a very good way. It felt so great to get back to weight training, especially with Kevin making sure I was putting in all my effort. I know from experience that if I keep it up, I can get my lean, muscular high school body back, just in time for summer.
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