Hi there folks! I wanted to take a moment and touch on a subject that comes across from time to time, regardless of personal or athletic training. Is your trainer a Performance Trainer or a Poser?
Side Note: This opinion article does not apply to group exercise training classes, or pre-programmed workout solutions.
I see it all the time, in gym's I visit, amongst my own ranks, and in the places where I workout on my own, people posing as trainers. The AFAA, or some other 3rd tier certifying organization gives a weekend long seminar on training (aka how not to kill or mame a client), then cuts them loose, and leaves them up to their own devices.
The general public out there unfortunately does not know how to properly identify a trainer, and they ultimately are the ones who lose in the end. Ill give you some quick pointers on what to look for when selecting a trainer (and remember YOU have a choice).
1. What Does My Trainer Look Like?: Before even starting a workout with a trainer (either male or female), make sure you shop around for trainers.. Look around the facility, watch them for a few days.. Do not be passive about selecting a trainer, and look for the key things - Are they fit? (no muffin top) - Are they Strong? (no wings flapping), - Are they what I want to look like? - The person who is providing you guidance should have "been there, done that", and know what to look for when directing a person to either a fitness or a strength based solution. (e.g: a 20 something skinny dude, most likely wont know how to address someone in their 30's and 40's from a strength and conditioning perspective)
2. Is my trainer certified?: When interviewing a trainer, ask them, what are your certifications? Write them down and go home and investigate them. I can tell you there are several major certifying organizations worth their salt (Their certifying tests are extremely difficult).. NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), ACE (American Council on Exercise), NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), are the top tier certification authorities for trainers out there, You can guarantee their base certification stack has at least a 4 year allied health program, followed by a year of studying.. Each of the above mentioned certification authorities have sub specialty certifications, Like Corrective Exercise Specialist, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Performance Enhancement Specialist, so on and so forth... Check your trainer's credentials, and make sure they line up with what your goals are.
3. What is my plan?: After interviewing your trainer, and hopefully going through some sort of assessment, challenge your trainer, ask them. What is my plan???? My number 1 rule. No Plan, No War. Regardless of taking a strength or fitness route to your goal, there has to be a plan, and one that stretches out further than the next workout. All too often, you will find Poser trainers, ad-lib-ing a workout.. You show up ready to train, OK that machine is open, lets go do 12-15 reps there, and then lets do some jumping jacks, then lets do TRX Chest Press, because I saw that in an article on muscle and fitness magazine,, how many reps? ummm 30 seconds worth.
There needs to be a clear & concise plan of attack. I mean think of it in terms of a teacher. A teacher doesn't Ad-lib their curriculum, neither should your trainer.. From my perspective to address a single athlete's 8 week x 2 day a week programming, I spend close to 3 hours designing the workout(s) and having a documented, tangible plan of attack, more often I give them their workout sheets, as what I do is not a trade secret. One other key way to make sure you are getting a well defined plan, is hang around after your session, and pedal on the bike or do something menial, watch your trainer with his/her next client... If you find them doing the same movements, reps, etc, you have a poser on your hands.
4. How does my trainer interact?: Now you have your trainer picked out, and hopefully have a plan of attack figured out, now when you are working out, does your trainer spend more time socializing with you, then putting you through the workout? Do you find them leaning against equipment, sitting on a piece of equipment, or texting on their phone? Your trainer should be engaged with you the entire time. I find when I train people, I don't have enough time to discuss how their previous week was, let alone anything else.. As a performance trainer, who's primary demographic is HS and Collegiate athletes, at the end of the day, im f'ing exhausted, why? because I was engaged with them the entire time... Im the first guy down the ladder, demonstrating the moves, correcting the moves, and ensuring they get the most of their experience! Your trainer should be actively engaging you, challenging you, and correcting your movements.
In closing, finding a trainer is as complex of a process as buying a house. If you don't treat it as such, your results and overall satisfaction will suffer. My hope is that you do find that right trainer for you, and with that the sky will be the limit, but always remember, in a gym there are more posers, than not.
Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment