If you haven't seen it, go a couple of entries back and answer the poll before reading this.



So, as I left the ship's cabin and hied myself off into the wilds of the Spa Deck for my personal trainer appointment, Toby asked "What do you think he's going to try to sell you?" I had no idea.

The answer? Expensive insoles! www.goodfeet.com (Cut and paste. I'm not going to give them Google power and a easy track right back here.)

So. Here's how it went: After I talked to him about my goals for this (correct technique for certain exercises), he said that at first he'd like to examine my feet and stance. So we went into the gym's studio, where they hold the classes, and he had me step on a piece of paper over this giant ink-pad thing which recorded what parts of my foot were contacting the ground as I walked. Which, I admit, might be one way to see if you need arch support. I don't remember exactly what he said about my feet but I got to keep the footprints as souveniers. :)

The sales pitch consisted of showing me a pair of insoles and, as we worked on each exercise barefoot (because of the arthritis I don't currently have a pair of sneakers, and I didn't want to do them on my rolly-bottom sandals), having me get my form right without them, and then slipping a pair of the insoles under my feet and having me do them again and asking me if I felt any difference.

For teh first half of this, I more-or-less lied, because I am oversocialized to want to please you when you ask me a questions, and said things like "Yeah, last time I felt the strain in my feet and now I feel it more in my quads), and then got tired of that and resorted to "Not really." The trainer got points for (a) having a cute Scottish accent* and (b) for limiting the direct sell to "So ... is this something you think you might have an interest in?" and SHUTTING UP when I said "Not at this time, thanks."

The price? Normally $390ish, but on thsi cruise they got a SPECIAL DEAL for only $180ish!! Yeesh. No, thanks. Not unless prescribed by an actual degree-holding medical doctor for a specific diagnosed medical problem.

So there you have it.

Oh, the answer about the supplement you take that turns your poo into green drops that you describe to your trainer who then diagnoses how bad your diet is? Exists. Happened to a friend of ours (who was impressed by it) when she started at her gym, but other than that they appear to not be too insane. She's stuck it out there for 2 years or so and is working towards a goal of competing in natural bodybuilding competitons ("natural" means they drug test the hell out of you; things like protein supplements are fine, but steroids and blood doping and whatnot are prohibited), although last I heard she was somewhat sidelined by an old shoulder injury acting up.


* I have unexpectedly discovered that this is a bonus in a trainer. He was from Glasgow.