Equinox Personal Trainer Diary — Day 2: Virtual CPR Requires a Couch Cushion
Read about my first day to get caught up on my data science to personal trainer journey!
While I got a lot done, it felt a lot less productive.
Part of this might be due to the fact that one of the modules did not allow me to play the videos at 2x speed, so I felt like I was moving through molasses.
But hey, I finished all of the modules! And the (unlimited attempt, totally high stakes) quizzes!
I mean, there could only be so much anatomy. And being a personal trainer is a lot more beyond the physical training. Lionel University, who partnered with Equinox to create this certification, seems to be doing it’s best to provide as holistic and comprehensive of a curriculum as it can, given the serious time constraints. I could see someone with other, more formal school or certification not finding much value in this course, but since I am not one of them I have no complaints (beyond that normal-speed module… the pain).
And I can’t believe there’s an app for CPR/AED certification.
Back in my lifeguarding days, we’d have to show up to the pool on a cold, sad day in May and perform all of the training and examinations with a Red Cross Certified Instructor.
But now, all I need is an app and a couch cushion and I can get my certification. I feel like an old person with how wild this seems to me.
I downloaded an app from Resuscitech. While the UI was clunky and dated, it did get the job done. I will say that the main reason I feel comfortable saying I am CPR/AED certified is because of all of the certification and bi-annual re-certifications I did at the pool. There was nothing wrong with the information, but —
What about the couch cushion?
Well, I think Resuscitech figured that we wouldn’t have CPR dummies lying around for this certification, and the closest thing to a dummy is a couch cushion. Kind of bold of them to assume I’d have a couch cushion I could remove, so I used my mattress, which wasn’t optimal but it beats asking my brother if I can practice on him and possibly break a rib or two.
With the phone secured between my left thumb and index finger, my right hand interlocked below and pressed against my bed, I intently performed compressions, keeping with a metronome and watching as a circle and a dashed box on my phone determined my fate, as this was how the app determined my competence in compression depth and tempo.
For two minutes, I did all I could to keep the circle blue and in the center of the box.
Riveting, I know. But, hey, I passed! And that’s what matters!
I submitted my certification and went to load the final exam with too much confidence.
Maybe I didn’t read something, maybe it was assumed, but after having unlimited attempts on the quizzes I definitely became complacent. So, instead of rolling the dice and trying to complete a 150 minute exam in 30 minutes and having to email my supervisor, I did what any nerd would do:
I went through all of the quizzes as fast as I could.
I really think I may be trying to do too much of this at double-speed, but the wheels haven’t fallen off the wagon yet, so I’m going to keep it moving.
Tomorrow, I’ll let y’all know whether I’m certified or screwed.
If the latter, this may be a very short journaling series… Stay tuned!
And I hope to see you at the East 92nd Street NYC Equinox!
Note: I am a personal trainer at Equinox. My opinions are my own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Equinox.
