I’m Albin Polkowski, a personal trainer and rehabilitation specialist based in East Hampton, NY, working with clients of many ages and fitness levels. Your first personal training session is designed to be calm, clear and structured. So you always know what is happening and why. I focus on understanding your current fitness level, any injuries or limitations, and what you’d like to change in your everyday life. Rather than throwing you into a hard workout, I use this first meeting to build a safe foundation for your fitness journey and to decide which training program will really fit you.
Meeting your East Hampton personal trainer for the first time
When you arrive, we start with a simple conversation. As your personal trainer in East Hampton, I want to know what your days look like. How much you sit, move, lift, or walk, and what has or hasn’t worked for you in the past. We also talk about your fitness journey so far, any previous training experience and what you expect from personal training. This relaxed start helps you get comfortable with your trainer and gives me the information I need to provide personal training that feels tailored, not generic.
What makes 1-on-1 personal training different?
In 1-on-1 personal training, every minute of your training session is focused on you. Unlike group fitness or large fitness classes, I can watch every repetition, adjust each exercise, and react immediately if something feels wrong. This style of private training allows us to work around injuries, joint pain or fear of specific movements. Because you are not trying to keep up with others, we can progress at the right speed for your body. Over time, this kind of personalized training usually leads to safer, more consistent results.
Talking about your health and fitness goals
Before we start any workout, we clarify your health and fitness goals. Some clients want less back pain. Others want to climb stairs more easily, play with their kids, or simply feel stronger and more stable. I help you turn these ideas into clear fitness goals we can measure over time. We also discuss your health and fitness history, including medications, surgeries, old injuries or pain that comes and goes. This step makes it much easier to design a training approach that respects your body and still moves you toward your health and fitness goals.
Assessment before your first workout in East Hampton
Next, we move to a gentle assessment. This is not a test you can “fail”; it simply shows me how your body moves today. In my East Hampton studio I look at basic posture, how you sit, stand up and walk, and how your joints behave when you bend or reach. I pay attention to breathing, coordination and balance, because these are important for safe fitness training. The goal is to understand your current fitness level, not to impress anyone. After this assessment, your first workout can be planned with much more confidence.
Movement, balance and strength checks
During the assessment, I use simple exercises, strength training–style movements and balance tasks to see how your body reacts. You might perform a controlled squat to a chair, a light push or pull, or step-ups to check leg strength and stability. I also look at how your core muscles support your spine when you move. These movement, balance and strength checks guide me as a trainer when I design your first workout program. Because we take time to observe calmly, we can avoid unnecessary risk and choose exercises that feel both effective and safe from the beginning.
Why the first workout is kept simple and safe?
Your first workout is intentionally simple, even if you have trained before. At the start, I prefer an effective workout with clear technique over something that leaves you exhausted and sore for days. We use basic strength training patterns, easy-to-follow exercises and moderate intensity, so you can focus on learning good movement. This also lets me see how your body handles each exercise during every training session. As your personal trainer, I adjust on the spot if anything hurts or feels wrong, so the experience builds trust instead of fear.
Building your personal training program in East Hampton
In my studio, personal training in East Hampton always starts with a clear plan, not a random workout. As a certified personal trainer, I look at your current fitness level, health and fitness goals and daily routine before choosing any exercises. From there, we design a training program that fits your life: private training, small group training or a mix of group classes and fitness classes. These personalized training programs give you structured workout plans and an effective workout you can actually follow. When you’re ready, we simply schedule your first session and begin your fitness journey.
