Free Will
Vanessa's new trainer was a very fit woman named Angelica Castle. She was muscular, like a picture from a bodybuilding magazine for women. She had a spiky hair style and lots of tattoos. Vanessa didn't hate tattoos, but she didn't hate them, either. They looked great on Castle. She wore a flattering, form-fitting workout outfit and just enough make-up to look feminine and strong at the same time.
"You've got your work cut out for you," Castle told Vanessa during their first meeting. Vanessa said she wanted to get fit, quit smoking and cut back on alcohol. "That's a big order," Castle said. "Especially that part about cigarettes. It's harder to quit smoking than to quit heroin."
"So I'm told. Nobody mentioned that back when I started smoking."
"I guess you'll learn for yourself," Castle said. "What I can tell you is that working out regularly will help you conquer your addictions and make you feel better in all kinds of ways. Let's get started."
Castle showed Vanessa how to use a circuit of weight machines that exercised all her major muscle groups. Vanessa learned the right way to lift and lower the weights, how to adjust the machine to the size of her body, and how to do the recommended number of repetitions and sets. When they finished weight lifting, Castle taught Vanessa how to use the treadmill. "I don't like this machine much," Castle said. "I like using an elliptical trainer when I want to get aerobic exercise. But for reasons I don't understand, this is the aerobic machine most people like best. Whatever. We'll start here. After you've done this a while we'll have you try other machines and see what you like. We offer all kinds of dance classes that are just as good. Maybe you'll want to do them instead."
Castle recommended that they work out together at least three days a week. Vanessa could do aerobics and stretching by herself on alternate days, or she could do that with Castle if she felt like it. "It's your money. Do what you want," Castle said.
"I'd like to work with you every day," Vanessa said. "I think I'll be more likely to come down here every day if I've got set appointments at scheduled times."
"That's probably true. And if you can afford it, it's the best way. I can guarantee that you're going to notice a lot of improvement in a short time. One good thing is that you're in pretty good shape already. Your weight is almost perfect as it is. Since you don't need to lose weight, we can focus on strength, muscle tone and endurance. You're going to feel dramatically better in a hurry."