An Ode to IDEA

Last month’s conference was probably the 30^th IDEA conference I have attended. I have lost count but it’s somewhere there in the neighborhood.

As I reflect on the impact those conferences had on my growth as a trainer, their value cannot be overstated. There was much I saw and liked and some I saw and disliked. But the main point is that I was exposed to it and could form my own opinion.

The fitness industry has changed dramatically over the last 20 years since I have been a trainer. Some things are still the same, and they also have still validity. If I trained my clients the way I did 20 years ago, I would not do them a disservice. They would get stronger and thus hopefully healthier. But having experienced all the developments and picked the ones that work for me has enabled me to become the trainer I am today. I could not possibly have read myself into that knowledge. Being able to see and feel is what makes the difference.

As such, I am grateful that the founders of IDEA, Peter and Kathie Davis, for their vision of a fitness organization of the kind that IDEA has become over the years.