Over the last couple years I have spent a decent amount of time in big, commercial fitness facilities whether it be as an employee or a member. I'm a very observant person and recently a couple things have been brought to my attention that I really just can't keep quiet about. I love being a personal trainer. It is by far the most fun and rewarding job I have ever had. I love helping my clients meet their goals while also getting to know them on a personal level and forming a special bond with them. Sure, when you enter the commercial setting you will certainly have your guys who devote every day of the week to biceps. You'll have your women who think the Stairmaster is the be all end all. Yeah, there will be bros in barely there cut-offs flexing in the mirror; believe it or not, my pet peeve doesn't lie with any of those members. My pet peeve is solely with the trainers and management of the facilities who call themselves "experts" but in reality do nothing more than encourage bad habits and teach improper form to those who do not know any better.
I recently started helping a friend of mine with his workouts. He's a small guy and wants to put on some weight and get strong. Pretty basic goals. Throughout the course of our conversation a couple weeks ago, he mentioned that he had talked with a personal trainer at the gym where he went just to get a little advice since he didn't really know where to begin with his workout regime. This trainer, who claims to have all this education and certifications told him it was perfectly fine to lift weights seven days a week so long as he didn't work the same muscle group two days in a row; he really didn't need any rest time. Not only that, he was also informed by this "trainer" that it was fine to not squat and deadlift; just go ahead and keep running a lot, that'll be enough for your legs. HELLO??? Did he not say he wanted to gain weight? Sure, let's run 5 miles a day, never take time to recover, and completely forget about two of the bread and butter lifts. I bet this poor kid will put on a ton of weight in no time.
Sad, but possibly true.
A few days later I was doing my workout and I happened to notice one of the women who is pretty high up on the totem pole at the facility was also working out. I didn't really pay much attention to her because I was in the zone and was focusing on my own workout. I passed by her just as she asked someone how much the barbell weighed. I'm sorry, isn't that one of the first things we learn as "fitness professionals?" Once again, I shook my head and brushed it off, all while watching one trainer having a client doing quarter squats (at best) and another trainer having a client balance on a bosu ball and do squats (if an earthquake comes, at least this client will know how to squat). Sadly, things like this seem to be the norm. What happened to the classic effective exercises like squat, deadlift, pull-ups, and push-ups? These days, from what I observe, trainers in the commercial setting stay away from those exercises. If they do happen to have a client do squats or lunges it seems it can't be done without some sort of stability ball or other gizmo that is completely unnecessary. (Oh, sorry, I forget, we just want to work the core more.)
Maybe I'm just a big nerd, but in my free time I love to read articles on training, not only about my own training but also how to be more efficient as a personal trainer. My favorite websites are elitefts.com and girlsgonestrong.com. I also enjoy Juggernaut, TNation, and lift.net. Yeah, I have a degree in Health and Fitness from a Big 10 school as well as a personal training certification from one of the best national organizations. But you know what both of those things are? Pieces of paper. That's it. The day I passed my personal training test I didn't automatically become a fountain of knowledge. I would be willing to say that 90% of what I know about training came from talking with others who know more than I do, reading articles on credible websites, and most of all, getting my own experience under the bar. You can get all the certifications and degrees that you want, but all that knowledge is basically meaningless without going out and getting your own experience.
Mostly, I'm just sad about what the field I love is turning into. Of course, there are certainly still lots of credible trainers out there. Unfortunately, it just seems that for every trainer who actually knows their stuff, there's three trainers who don't know their stuff. It's very disheartening to me when I observe trainers at the gym who are clearly not helping their clients. And the saddest part for me is the client has no idea. They put their faith, trust, and a whole lot of money into this trainer and are inevitably going to be disappointed when they either don't see results or get an injury.
I have been employed in the commercial fitness industry at various facilities for about two years and in my opinion, it just gets worse and worse each time they hire a new trainer. I've been volunteering at a private facility for a few months and I absolutely love it. The owner and the other trainer are very knowledgeable and the clients see great results and love coming in to workout! At this small private facility, the owner isn't money hungry; it's not all about how many sessions he can sell in a month like it is in most of the commercial facilities. There's not a single machine or silly bosu ball in the facility (seriously, what is with those silly things??). It is such a refreshing change of pace for me to be able to go into a facility and talk about 5/3/1 or the cube method and not get blank stares from my co-workers. I love going there and seeing the trainers actually care about their clients, not only care about their workouts, but legitimately care about them on a personal level. Volunteering in the private sector has certainly restored some of my faith in the fitness industry.
I'm not aiming to tear down the commercial setting because I'm sure their are some very knowledgeable people at some of these facilities. If you are looking to find a trainer, I highly recommend you do some research and find someone credible in your area. Don't just stop by the nearest big chain gym and think you're going to get a trainer who is going to make magic happen. I've seen some trainers who may meet with 12 different clients in a day and would have each client do the exact same workout. Clearly they weren't too concerned with tailoring a workout to meet specific goals. If you work with a trainer, don't be afraid to ask them why they're having you do something. If they get defensive about you asking questions or stammer around and can't give you an answer, then chances are they have no idea why they're having you do the exercise. If you want to know how certain things about the workouts are going to help you meet your goals, go ahead and ask! If you don't know something, it's okay to ask; that's how you learn!
Basically, before you hire a trainer just make sure you do your homework. Ask the trainer about not only their education and certifications but also about their own experience with their own training. If you get a bad vibe or just don't like what you hear then don't be afraid to move on down the road. The right trainer is out there, I promise!
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