[Episode 41] Reimagining Health and Fitness: An Interview With Coach Sam

This week I had a chat with the totally bad arse and wonderful Coach Sam.

Sam is a Melbourne based transmasculine training & nutrition coach. As a HAES practitioner (Health at every size), Sams’ mission in life is to create a platform to celebrate trans & gender diverse resilience, strength & empowerment.

T Generation (his coaching service), is setting the new standard for how Trans/Gender diverse humans accessing the world of health, fitness & mental fortitude.

Sam is into team sports, that are played by individuals, like competitive powerlifting. This is what allowed him to really explore sports autonomously and find a way that he could practice what felt good for him.

 

 

Transitioning and physical activity

Through his own experiences with getting active while starting hormones, Sam has gained some valuable insights. He uses these to support folks that train with him.

He shared that training goals are important and a great thing to have.

But, remember that training is influenced by the many changes the body experiences while transitioning with hormones.

So keep in mind your individual base biology.

And be very mindful to honour our bodies and their capabilities pre hormones.

So this means things like muscle and tendon adaptations for someone who’s AFAB will influence their initial training intensity.

This is not to say that over time a person can’t increase their training intensity. They definitely can.

But, start slowly. Get a feel for the movements that are being practiced before adding intensity to a session.

It can be so common for people to jump straight into training and do something that injures them. Or the activity is simply beyond their starting capacity.

So they stop, thinking that training may not be for them.

Sam and I have both seen this happen many times over our years as coaches.

 

 

It doesn’t have to be like this though. If you’re new to getting active, start slow. Find a quality coach who understands you and your needs. This will change a potentially negative experience into a positive one. 

Transgender coach and community member

Sam has found two faults with people being able to access training.

Firstly, as a participant he believes there’s a lack of relevant information available to help TGD folks access safe training spaces.

And to add to that, there is a big lack of safe training spaces available for TGD folks.

While in Melbourne there are three TGD & Queer inclusive trainers and training spaces, these being Sam’s own business T-Gen, Ella at Pony Club Gym and Zay and I at Non Gendered Fitness.

The second challenge many TGD folks face is due to a lack of research into the long term impacts of HRT on people’s bodies. Regardless of their gender identity.

Specifically things such as how aging is influenced by using affirming hormone therapies.

 

 

The gaps in the area of TGD support in the health and fitness space are numerous.

As a coach and member of the TGD community, Sam has found two faults with people being able to access training.

Firstly, as a participant he believes there’s a lack of relevant information available to help TGD folks access safe training spaces.

And to add to that, there is a big lack of safe training spaces available for TGD folks.

While in Melbourne there are three TGD & Queer inclusive trainers and training spaces, these being Sam’s own business T-Gen, Ella at Pony Club Gym and Zay and I at Non Gendered Fitness.

The second challenge many TGD folks face is due to a lack of research into the long term impacts of HRT on people’s bodies. Regardless of their gender identity.

Specifically things such as how aging is influenced by using affirming hormone therapies. The gaps in the area of TGD support in the health and fitness space are numerous.

Navigating the fitness industry as an openly trans person, Sam has had a unique opportunity to help shape change for TGD folks looking to access an affirming space here in Melbourne. 

Sam works from a boutique gym space that once maintained quite a toxic culture.

Since he became a trainer at the space however, his work has changed these attitudes and the space is now a more open and affirming space where his clients can train.

Knowing the gaps in support, it’s an incredible achievement for a boutique gym to take the steps to change their culture and become inclusive.

This change has been possible because Sam has been outspoken around the former attitudes displayed by the space. His passion to shape change for the community is inspiring.

And there is so much more gyms and training spaces need to learn to better support the TGD community.

But there is also so much more that we as individual coaches can learn to better support the people who come to us for help too. These are exciting times.

 

 

So just remember that if you are looking for a space to get more active or a coach to help you reach your goals, there are multiple spaces for you, especially if yo live in Melbourne.

There are so many ways to move your body. So find the ways that interest you and that work for you.

And remember, no one has the right to tell you that you can’t have anything that you want.

If you’re enjoying the show and know other folks that may find some benefit in having a listen, I’d be so grateful if you shared it with them or anywhere else where you think that it could help someone.

You can get in touch with Sam by finding him on Instagram or join his Facebook group for support and training tips.