Yea, that's a good post by Mal.
I'm usually the first to bash trainers.... however, I am one. So it's the pot calling the kettle black in SOME occasions.
There certainly are some good trainers out there.
But as a warning, I have 4 local gyms in my area. I've trained and still do train at all of them. Each of these gyms have a training staff. There is terrible, but there is not one trainer I would feel comfortable sending my wife to. They are just awful. They all train the same way and they give even worse advice when training a woman. It's as if they know absolutely nothing about the sciences of the body or how to get someone from point A to point Z.
If you do hire a trainer, here are a few questions and things to look for. If anyone has anything to add, by all means.....I'm tired and just rambling here:
- Ask about their experience. You can be the smartest goof in the world, but if you don't have any hands on, applicable experience chances are you're pretty much useless.
- Ask about their certification. Certifications this day in age mean next to nothing. However, if they have one of the 'big 3' chances are a lot better that this individual has taken the time to educate him or herself. Certs to look for include those obtained through the NSCA, ACSM, and NASM.
- Once goals are stated, ask how he or she recommends meeting these goals. If things such as toning and a bunch of isolation B.S. exercises are recommended, walk out the door. Just about every trainer I see this day in age has their clients focusing in on their problem areas. Have flabby arms? Let's to a million and one arm exercises. Have a belly roll or two? Let's have you do a billion and three crunches from every angle. If this seems to be the case, again, don't bother.
- Ask what he or she promotes more, machines or free weights. Again, most of the trainers I see today run their clients through the gauntlet of machines. Who knows why? Maybe it's b/c it helps get the client in and out of the gym faster so they can make more money. Maybe it's because the trainer is too lazy to teach proper form with free weights. Worse, maybe the trainer is too incompetent to teach free weight movements. But the bottom line is, free weights are always superior.
- A note to remember is, you can have The Ultimatest Trainerz In Teh Univerze!!1111, but if your nutrition is off, what you're doing with this awesome trainer means shit all about nothing. To reach any physique goal, proper nutrition and exercise programming must be in place.
I could probably go on and on, but you catch my drift I hope......
iggy:
