& Why I’m Not Re-certifying
What do you do with a dream that came true? Does it expire? Or do you continue pursuing it to make its magic last?
Indeed, it is never too late to start a dream even if it is a silent one – until you become a new mom. Here’s one I never talked about, which had been realized for a while now – because I became a mom. I actually wrote parts of this entry back in June 2019.
Some leave to chase their dreams. Some return to do it. The last few miserable months in Cingapore where all my dreams & desires were put on hold, I decided the first thing to do when I move back to Malaysia is to become an ACE certified personal trainer. No, you don’t need a cert to be good at the gym but do-or-die, I had to tick this off my bucket list before becoming a mother. I didn’t just want it, I needed it.
Just as I have always done with my dreams until I become a mother, I pursued this goal not just for myself but also with the motivation to help loved ones around me. (The funny thing is, you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. I learned this later.) Something that felt so distant was suddenly in my hands. Such is a great, powerful feeling that keeps you on your toes, going forward with a reason & a big smile on your face!
My belief is that we only have 1 body, 1 lifetime, in this 1 temple we live in. It is so important to know how to move & work it right.
In the past, I spent thousands on gym memberships & a personal trainer. The primary is useless if you don’t know what you’re doing. Yet the addition to the latter doesn’t necessarily make it better.
I learned the expensive way that most trainers either teach you the wrong methods or hold back on their knowledge instead of actually coaching you. What they want is for you to have a dependency on them to keep the money coming.
While I understand that, I believe, the right way is for a PT to coach so that the clients trust & enjoy the process of training with him/her to achieve their goal. Not because they are still clueless after months & therefore have to stick around with the same person!
My ex PT surnamed Gan either tried to sell me supplements every session or his luck to have me join his training session with a bunch of his other clients outside of Fitness First. Appalling.
![cde32a47-e300-47b4-9a79-dc582a540add-1](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/31346326677_afcdfc38a2_b.jpg)
{Certified Fitness Trainer (CFI) – Level 1 of Certified Fitness Practitioner by FEA}
![IMG_3763-2](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4837/31346326897_6663ca7150_b.jpg)
{Personal Trainer in Practice (PTP) – Level 2 of Certified Fitness Practitioner by FEA}
![Untitled](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/45372409795_cc602a98b6_b.jpg)
{ACE Personal Trainer Exam Preparation Course team}
![IMG_3991-3](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/31346326587_e25a0c0498_b.jpg)
{study materials I still refer to today}
![14f66c9b-1740-43c2-8cd0-774416c43b1c](https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/46285112481_55edaa7c00_b.jpg)
You should know:
- Your ACE certification expires in 2 years unless you continue to take courses to maintain your education credits. I’ll only take new courses that interest me, not for the sake of keeping the title as I’m not a fan of their business scheme.
- You can be an ACE CPT but if you don’t train like one in real life, it’s just a name for your safekeeping. So use your knowledge!
- Being successfully certified is still worth it because what you learn will always be yours. No form of education is ever a waste. First, get your base right before relying on Instagram workouts. & please don’t fall for any weight-loss supplements or Kardashian teas – the ONLY way is to DO the work.
After my ACE, I immediately signed up for the Bump & Beyond: Training Pregnant & Postpartum Clients course as I knew I want to continue working out in our attempt to grow our family.
So here I was:
& here I am, missing this body that was mine.
Becoming a mom doesn’t stop me from keeping fit but becoming a mom during a pandemic definitely does. I’m still figuring out how to squeeze exercise into my daily routine as a full-time mother, part-time housewife & freelancer – these 10+ months had been challenging without help at home. Even if I managed, to do it consistently, which is key to any success, would be impossible.
So you see . . . for some, to be able to exercise is a luxury. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t miss breaking a sweat – dead serious. It’s as if someone has taken my rights away to brush my teeth! When I figure this out, I’ll be the first to share with you how to make it possible. For now, gotta sleep when baby sleeps!