Merilee Restucci

HLTH 290
4/25/19

Internship Reflection

I am fortunate to have found Geoff Edwards at Fit Over Fifty Fitness for the location of

my internship. The studio he created, his exercise philosophy, and his coaching style are all

perfectly in line with what I envision my career in personal training to be. I had originally

considered working at a large box gym; however, that position didn’t work out. I specifically

wanted to work with trainer, or at a location, that specialized in the over 50 population. My

personal experience with exercise is what led me to my desire to become a personal trainer. I did

not participate in any type of consistent exercise until I turned 50. Once I started an exercise

program I was beset with numerous injuries and realized I needed to learn how to workout with

my aging body. This desire to learn made it a necessity that my internship matched my end goal.

I searched google for personal trainers meeting my criteria and found Geoff.

One of my concerns about working with the over 50 population was dealing with injuries

and basic age-related ailments. From Geoff, I’ve learned how these conditions can be easily

addressed when engaging in a functional fitness-based exercise program. We move in multiple

planes so if we rely solely on machine-based exercises it won’t always translate into our

everyday activities. By creating workouts that mirror movements used in everyday life we can

assist clients in improving their health and lead more active lives. Utilizing suspension straps,

resistance bands, free weights, battle ropes, and other manual style equipment we can create

workouts that not only achieve this goal but also offer a variety to keep clients engaged.
 At Fit Over Fifty Fitness, Geoff creates circuits using the above-mentioned equipment.

With his guidance I had the opportunity to teach a few of these classes and practice recognizing

when someone needed help with their form, how to adjust an exercise for an injury and how to

properly demonstrate an exercise. He also shared with me how to approach the older age group

when correcting their form and when to not be concerned about it as no injury would result. I

found this interesting because it is an aspect I hadn’t considered. Another opportunity Geoff

afforded me was to create a few workout circuits. Class design is based on the six pillars of

exercises: push, pull, squat, lunge, core, and balance. Each station ranges from 20-60 seconds

and include strength, cardio, agility, core, and balance. I learned that there are many different

factors to consider when creating a program, for example, having a recovery exercise station

after a high intensity exercise station.

I can honestly say that my internship couldn’t have gone better. In fact, I was sad to have

it end! After I graduate and obtain my personal training certification I will be training out of

Geoff’s studio and teaching classes with him. I will also be accompanying Geoff at The

Functional Aging Institutes summit in June. FAI’s Functional Aging Specialist designation is

another certification I will work towards. This internship not only affirmed my chosen career

path but is also providing me the venue to start my business and continue my education under

Geoff’s tutelage.