This irks me about trainers in the gym

[donnajo]

The smith squat. I see so many trainers having their clients do this.

Why in all of these certifications and degrees or whatever is this not taught as a bad movement to be doing? Should this not be common sense to know. I even saw a trainer doing it themselves the other day.

Why do you see most trainers teaching idiotic exercise movements in general. And on top of that they don't correct form or teach proper exercise technique. I watched this one guy have a lady bench and her feet are up on the bench. I watched another trainer have a conversation about something non training related while the client was doing the exercise incorrectly. I cringe and it annoys me to no end. WHY PEOPLE? WHY is this?


I just want to walk up and smack them in the head. :lol3:

[MichelleS]

I talked with one girl trainer. and we were talking about she is going to start to prep for a show too and going to train with the other male trainer and I told her she would have to give up her squats and she Hell no. I think that she is the only trainer that I have seen teaching her clients in the squat rack and when they ask to use the smith she says NO thats not a real machine. :yippee: a smart trainer.

[soontobefit]

My new gym has slightly better trainers. That said, when they have their clients doing squats, I want to yell, "keep going down!!! You're not done yet!!!" They don't do squats nearly the "right" way

[smuggie]

The smith squat. I see so many trainers having their clients do this.

Why in all of these certifications and degrees or whatever is this not taught as a bad movement to be doing? Should this not be common sense to know. I even saw a trainer doing it themselves the other day.
Most PT certifications aren't worth the paper they're printed on. The only thing they're good for is wiping your ass. :hamster:

Why do you see most trainers teaching idiotic exercise movements in general. And on top of that they don't correct form or teach proper exercise technique. I watched this one guy have a lady bench and her feet are up on the bench. I watched another trainer have a conversation about something non training related while the client was doing the exercise incorrectly. I cringe and it annoys me to no end. WHY PEOPLE? WHY is this?
Because most PTs are idiots. :hamster:

[donnajo]

Most PT certifications aren't worth the paper they're printed on. The only thing they're good for is wiping your ass. :hamster:

Because most PTs are idiots. :hamster:

I know this. But I just think it would be common knowledge by now.

[smuggie]

I know this. But I just think it would be common knowledge by now.

It isn't, because most PTs are nothing more than lazy reps counters who never furthered their knowledge bases after obtaining their useless certifications. :hamster:

[hsquared]

I feel the same way about the trainers at my gym. They repeatedly put people on machines and just count reps. Or, you see them lunging across the gym for 45 minutes. Our trainers are all either skinny guys with no muscle or chubby girls with no muscle. So sad...

[FitnessModerate]

I feel the same way about the trainers at my gym. They repeatedly put people on machines and just count reps. Or, you see them lunging across the gym for 45 minutes. Our trainers are all either skinny guys with no muscle or chubby girls with no muscle. So sad...

Honestly, I never understood the walking lunges thing. Always looked pretty stupid to me. I do my lunges in one spot just fine.

[FitnessModerate]

It isn't, because most PTs are nothing more than lazy reps counters who never furthered their knowledge bases after obtaining their useless certifications. :hamster:

Yeah instead of rep counting, they should be teaching how to lift to failure. But that's just one of the differences between real PTs and faux PTs. Another mark of a good PT is one that isn't chatting up a client, wasting his/her time, but just gets right into the exercise. Of course if the client starts getting chatty that become a problem.

[Noel Clark]

I know this. But I just think it would be common knowledge by now.

Why? Most of the stuff that they do isn't right. THe FIRST thing they seem to do is change the stability of the client...bosu ball--I have seen ppl doing RDLs on the bosu ball during their first session. This is the LAST thing that you should be changing. A lot of what they do makes no sense.

[Inatic]

we see lots of odd stuff at our gym.. from people that could really benefit from lifting something other than light dbs.


Why? Most of the stuff that they do isn't right. THe FIRST thing they seem to do is change the stability of the client...bosu ball--I have seen ppl doing RDLs on the bosu ball during their first session. This is the LAST thing that you should be changing. A lot of what they do makes no sense.

I cant even picture and rdl on a ball! :sad:


Yeah instead of rep counting, they should be teaching how to lift to failure. But that's just one of the differences between real PTs and faux PTs. Another mark of a good PT is one that isn't chatting up a client, wasting his/her time, but just gets right into the exercise. Of course if the client starts getting chatty that become a problem.

to failure? or do you mean heavier?

[donnajo]

we see lots of odd stuff at our gym.. from people that could really benefit from lifting something other than light dbs.



I cant even picture and rdl on a ball! :sad:



to failure? or do you mean heavier?


:yeahthat: You don't want to lift to failure all the time or actually most of the time.

[donnajo]

Why? Most of the stuff that they do isn't right. THe FIRST thing they seem to do is change the stability of the client...bosu ball--I have seen ppl doing RDLs on the bosu ball during their first session. This is the LAST thing that you should be changing. A lot of what they do makes no sense.


Oh, I know what you mean. The one gym I work at. Same one Lyn goes to. The owners and head honchos came directly from NASM in California. I like a lot of the corrective, SMR and assessment parts of the NASM Cert but they are on that balance like the cat in the hat wagon way too much.

It seems to me that there is so much of all one way or the other and no one incorporates a bit of all knowledge or thinks for themselves. I think on top of getting a certification you really need to get more than one and be continuously learning, reading and studying. So many of them go to a weekend thing, get a cert and presto they are trainers. And the saddest part is the clients who spend a lot of money on these pseudo trainers. :sad:

[Blondell]

:yeahthat: You don't want to lift to failure all the time or actually most of the time.

what they said...

[Noel Clark]

Oh, I know what you mean. The one gym I work at. Same one Lyn goes to. The owners and head honchos came directly from NASM in California. I like a lot of the corrective, SMR and assessment parts of the NASM Cert but they are on that balance like the cat in the hat wagon way too much.

It seems to me that there is so much of all one way or the other and no one incorporates a bit of all knowledge or thinks for themselves. I think on top of getting a certification you really need to get more than one and be continuously learning, reading and studying. So many of them go to a weekend thing, get a cert and presto they are trainers. And the saddest part is the clients who spend a lot of money on these pseudo trainers. :sad:
I agree....I think that just because you have a 'certification' doesn't mean you stop learning or reading further. But the regular person just doesn't know this.

[smuggie]

Yeah instead of rep counting, they should be teaching how to lift to failure. But that's just one of the differences between real PTs and faux PTs. Another mark of a good PT is one that isn't chatting up a client, wasting his/her time, but just gets right into the exercise. Of course if the client starts getting chatty that become a problem.
Lifting to failure on a deliberate and consistent basis is an outmoded practice that produces little to no benefit and only opens you up to increased risk of injury.

[smuggie]

It seems to me that there is so much of all one way or the other and no one incorporates a bit of all knowledge or thinks for themselves. I think on top of getting a certification you really need to get more than one and be continuously learning, reading and studying. So many of them go to a weekend thing, get a cert and presto they are trainers. And the saddest part is the clients who spend a lot of money on these pseudo trainers. :sad:

There's an organization in Canada called CanFitPro that offers a "comprehensive" 25-hour PT course. Upon completing the course you can sit for the exam that will earn you your cert.

This is all the qualification you need to work in many gyms in Canada.

It's just plain :sad:

[donnajo]

There's an organization in Canada called CanFitPro that offers a "comprehensive" 25-hour PT course. Upon completing the course you can sit for the exam that will earn you your cert.

This is all the qualification you need to work in many gyms in Canada.

It's just plain :sad:

I know. I not only try to get more certs and take CEU classes. I own tons of books and read constantly on the subject. Hang out at forums like this. It is like with anything in life that you truly want to be good at. You must constantly be learning. Therefore I really think it is important for it to be a passion for someone. I see so many PT's just doing this til they graduate college and get their real job or as a side thing. :sad: Go wait tables I say.

[FitnessModerate]

Lifting to failure on a deliberate and consistent basis is an outmoded practice that produces little to no benefit and only opens you up to increased risk of injury.

I disagree. Just automatically doing 10 reps doesn't necessarily get you anywhere. I don't necessarily mean to absolute failure where you drop the weight on your foot, but at least to 90%. No pain, no gain.

[Inatic]

I disagree. Just automatically doing 10 reps doesn't necessarily get you anywhere. I don't necessarily mean to absolute failure where you drop the weight on your foot, but at least to 90%. No pain, no gain.

so if your doing 10reps you keep going till you fail?

[donnajo]

I disagree. Just automatically doing 10 reps doesn't necessarily get you anywhere. I don't necessarily mean to absolute failure where you drop the weight on your foot, but at least to 90%. No pain, no gain.

It is about intensity. You should not be able to lift a weight for 10 reps that you could do 10 with but more like til you could maybe do 11 but 10 feels difficult. If you go to failure all the time you are going to kill your CNS. Train smart. I go to failure sometimes by accident but it is a big misnomer to go to failure all the time. To much muscle and fiction advice sounds like.:lol3:

[FitnessModerate]

so if your doing 10reps you keep going till you fail?

Not necessarily on the 1st set. But by the 2nd and 3rd sets I am pushing to failure.

[Inatic]

Not necessarily on the 1st set. But by the 2nd and 3rd sets I am pushing to failure.

then you arent chosing the proper wt if you cant hit 10 reps without going to failure and leaving a rep or so in the hole.

Pushing to failure as stated before on a consistent basis isnt good a good thing.

[Erik]

Failure is a TOOL just like everything else. It however is one that unless used wisely can end up being counterproductive.

More often than not, most people are better off training just shy of failure - ie. leaving one rep in the tank. Doing 5 1/2 reps - since you obviously didn't get the 6th rep (for example) just doesn't far outweigh the benefits of having stopped at 5 reps instead. That extra half rep, done consistently, results in inroads to recovery.

I would say that with failure it should be used sparingly for your big, compound low rep work, but that you could use it more for your secondary, higher rep, isolation-type bodybuilding-style work.

[Audrey]

I see SO many trainers at my gym teaching their clients so many stupid or isolation exercises, yet very few exercises are compound movements.., endless reps of laterals, pec deck, leg extensions, and let's not forget adduction/abduction machines and abs. If I was paying a trainer, I would expect to be shown/taught something other than mainly machines (which I can learn on my own just fine).

As for those that do teach compound movements such as bench press or squats (I have only seen ONE trainer in my while gym teach back squats), they do so having the client do 12-15 reps of the exercise... which is not the best way to have a newbie learn an exercise (form breakdown issue).

[lissaheiser]

But I like walking lunges. Are they really useless?

[smuggie]

I know. I not only try to get more certs and take CEU classes. I own tons of books and read constantly on the subject. Hang out at forums like this. It is like with anything in life that you truly want to be good at. You must constantly be learning. Therefore I really think it is important for it to be a passion for someone. I see so many PT's just doing this til they graduate college and get their real job or as a side thing. :sad: Go wait tables I say.

I couldn't agree more.

[Romedoggy]

So...I'm the dummy that totally bought into this Fake PT thing. I speant $$ on a nutritionist and a PT for 2 months after I had my son. I lost 4 lbs. and I worked my a$$ off. I did walking lunges, balaced on a bosu ball thingy, and all isolation movements. Can I tell you how much I wanted to cry after I worked so hard, with no results. Now...trying to convince my better half that we should spend $$ on it again (using Erik or Noel of course), but he's not buying it. With the results I got last time...I can't blame him. It's so frustrating! :(

[donnajo]

I see SO many trainers at my gym teaching their clients so many stupid or isolation exercises, yet very few exercises are compound movements.., endless reps of laterals, pec deck, leg extensions, and let's not forget adduction/abduction machines and abs. If I was paying a trainer, I would expect to be shown/taught something other than mainly machines (which I can learn on my own just fine).

As for those that do teach compound movements such as bench press or squats (I have only seen ONE trainer in my while gym teach back squats), they do so having the client do 12-15 reps of the exercise... which is not the best way to have a newbie learn an exercise (form breakdown issue).


Exactly. :nod:

I have to say I am so glad I found forums like these and searched out people with real knowledge. I am sure there are some trainers like this too. Just not common. I guess it is a mass production thing to make money and gyms just don't care. But I learned a lot here and it showed me how to research my education and where to go to get educated.

[Audrey]

But I like walking lunges. Are they really useless?

No, they are not useless. They shouldn't make be the main focus on your leg workouts (i.e. make sure to include heavy, compound movements such as squats, Romanian deadlifts, deadliftss...), but they do have their place.

[Noel Clark]

So...I'm the dummy that totally bought into this Fake PT thing. I speant $$ on a nutritionist and a PT for 2 months after I had my son. I lost 4 lbs. and I worked my a$$ off. I did walking lunges, balaced on a bosu ball thingy, and all isolation movements. Can I tell you how much I wanted to cry after I worked so hard, with no results. Now...trying to convince my better half that we should spend $$ on it again (using Erik or Noel of course), but he's not buying it. With the results I got last time...I can't blame him. It's so frustrating! :(

Yes, that is frustrating! But here is the thing. You have done a great job asking questions here and getting your workout and diet critiqued... You can keep doing that and still see results. Then when DH comes around...then you can hire us :D

[Inatic]

So...I'm the dummy that totally bought into this Fake PT thing. I speant $$ on a nutritionist and a PT for 2 months after I had my son. I lost 4 lbs. and I worked my a$$ off. I did walking lunges, balaced on a bosu ball thingy, and all isolation movements. Can I tell you how much I wanted to cry after I worked so hard, with no results. Now...trying to convince my better half that we should spend $$ on it again (using Erik or Noel of course), but he's not buying it. With the results I got last time...I can't blame him. It's so frustrating! :(

show him the results that eriks clients get.. He'll be thrilled. Ask my hubby. ;)

[Stephanicole]

Lets see if I can describe this right...at my gym there is this nooby trainer. He was training this guy who probably never worked out before. Evertime the man did a rep, the trainer would not help or SPOT him at the end of each rep, but actually take the mans arms and forcefully finish the rep (pretty much for him). That man will never see any results! It pisses me off every time. I almost went to management about it.

Rep counters...thats awesome

[Stephanicole]

Who is this Erik guy, everyone seems to be talking about him on a first name basis through other threads as well?

[Blondell]

Who is this Erik guy, everyone seems to be talking about him on a first name basis through other threads as well?

No one knows.

[Blondell]

:jk:

He's Thunder on the board (the owner).

[smuggie]

:jk:

He's Thunder on the board (the owner).

Is that who he is? Thanks for clearing that up.

[smuggie]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v614/montagnu/smiles%20and%20laughter%20smilies/laughbounce.gif

[Stephanicole]

Just wondering because people are saying they have been or maybe they want to be trained by him

[Blondell]

Just wondering because people are saying they have been or maybe they want to be trained by him

He's good :nod:

[Blondell]

Is that who he is?
Or, so I've been told.

:lol:

[smuggie]

Or, so I've been told.

:lol:

You mean you're not sure? Are you spreading false info? :uhuh:

[Blondell]

You mean you're not sure? Are you spreading false info? :uhuh:

I sawry. :sadface:

[smuggie]

I sawry. :sadface:

First you steal bandwidth and now this. :finger:

[Blondell]

First you steal bandwidth and now this. :finger:
I just posted something in your journal relating to this. :lol: