Personal Trainer Pitfalls – Do Your Research!
Hey San Antonio,
A lot of my clients come to me after they’ve tried several other alternatives. My approach is direct: I am in the business of changing bodies and while my personality is friendly, outrageous and sometimes even ridiculous, I am very serious about what I do, and very serious about my clients achieving results.
I’m very active in the personal training industry. Long before I made this my career (when it was my hobby), I decided that I wanted to know what other trainers weren’t doing right and do those things. Funny enough, after almost 14 years, these short-comings haven’t been eliminated – due to the increase in the number of personal trainers and the ease of the certification process, these pitfalls have multiplied exponentially. Here are a few of the common things you’ll see if you pay attention to most any trainer in any gym.
Their nutritional knowledge is very limited.
-For the most part, certifications require very little nutritional knowledge, and it is definitely not all-inclusive for different situations, goals and conditions. Most personal trainers simply use cookie cutter, fad diets for their clients, as they are unable to design a program from scratch. Nutrition is complex: different people respond differently to different foods in a variety of ways (how they store fat, energy levels, etc). Most trainers simply have one approach (eat less, low carb, etc). They don’t understand the importance of every single meal and timing every nutrient. Even worse, they don’t know how to simplify it for the client so that they understand exactly why they’re eating what. Does it really matter? Absolutely. There are things that work, and there are things that work optimally. Time isn’t cheap, so it cannot be wasted. I have very high expectations of my clients, and I’d venture to say they achieve their goals in half the time as they would otherwise.
Their training approach is cookie cutter.
-I train a variety of different types of people with a broad set of goals. I train pre and post-natal mothers, athletes and competitors, and typical people who are looking to lose fat, gain muscle or a combination of both. Would it make any sense if I trained them the same way? I still pay attention to what other personal trainers are doing when I’m at another gym, and I’m fascinated that they do not deviate from one style of training. Training style is dependent on so many factors: the individual’s condition, their goals, their abilities and those things evolve as the client progresses. Unfortunately, most trainers prescribe the same regimen to every client regardless of their situation and goals.
The trainer is pre-occupied.
-The difference between performing an exercise with proper form and doing something that increases the probability of injury is marginal. A slight shift in angle of the back, foot placement, hand placement – these are all things that must be monitored throughout an exercise. As people begin to fatigue, the trainer needs to be more aware that the likelihood of a flaw in form will increase, and be ready to make corrections. Of course, the key to this is to know the actual mechanics of every possible exercise. I see trainers in other gyms having clients squat or do stiff-leg dead lifts and I almost want to call an ambulance for the client, or at least make them an appointment with my chiropractor. No matter how strong your will-power is, you have to train to make progress. Of course, the ability to train is greatly reduced when you suffer a serious injury. Your health is too important to risk.
Experience is key.
-Most people’s career as a personal trainer or a fitness professional is short-lived. This is a cut-throat business and the ability to sustain is tough. Your client pool is limited: good trainers make it by helping people make amazing progress and obtaining an endless source of referrals. If the people they train aren’t happy with their results, they will not last. I attribute my ability to help clients obtain amazing progress to my 14 years of training other people. While I’ve taken more than 20 different certification courses and am always attempting to learn more about training and nutrition, nothing holds a candle to experience. I suppose if I listed the initials to my certifications many would be impressed, but most don’t have the slightest clue of what those letters mean. I don’t feel the need to hide behind ACSM, NASM, ISSA, ACE, IFPA, CSCS (see what I mean? ;) – I’d much prefer let my body of work with clients and knowledge do my talking, and I proudly demonstrate it daily on this blog.
Don’t settle. Why I do think every trainer should look the part and practice what they preach, it takes more than some muscles to be a good personal trainer. If you’re thinking of hiring someone, challenge them – find out everything they believe in, how they work, their philosophies (if they have any), and their ability to help you set and achieve goals. References? They should be offered (and don’t hesitate to take them up on it). A trainer that is an expert at what they do is worth their weight in gold – so do your research!
Boyd Myers
Personal Trainer in San Antonio
Owner, San Antonio’s Top Personal Training Studio
16613 Huebner Rd (corner of Huebner and Bitters)
210.391.1454
