Trainers need to be present
Warning.....I am on a rant!! Today's blog is for everyone although the rant is specific to Personal Trainers; Group Exercise Instructors. However, clients and participants will benefit as well!
In the last few weeks I have witnessed troubling interactions between trainers and clients. As a Personal Trainer I believe that it is my professional responsibility to know my clients, including their strengths, challenges and most important, their goals. This means that there is no cookie cutter workout that will work for all clients. The one workout works for all is something I have witnessed pretty frequently. In fact, I paid for a Personal training session at a "spa" to be given the exact workout I watched the trainer give to someone else the day before....
Did I call him out on this....no...although in hindsight I should have.
In his situation I figured he was giving "most" a "basic" routine that they could take home and be safe...there was not going to be a long-term commitment to the client or his/her goals...so although not real happy that he did not try to understand my goal in the session; I also was not totally surprised.
In my experience, as a trainer, I do get "hooked" on a routine, pieces of equipment, cardio options that I find beneficial so I can understand how trainers get "connected" to these and give to all clients. I was guilty of this myself for awhile. Then, one day, as I watched a client have some challenges I realized that I "lost" her goal.....I quickly regrouped; refocused. We talked at the end of the workout and redefined the workout - happy ending for sure and great lesson learned!
As I stated in the beginning of this blog...I have witnessed less than effective workouts between clients and trainers. In some the client is executing an exercise in horrific form. I watched as the trainer illustrated the move without specifically expressing to the one client (there were two) that his form was not correct! Actually, his form was so wrong I am very surprised he did not get an injury!!
And during this interaction there was "no stopping" to fix; no refocusing to stop "chatting"; no true correction of form not only to benefit in this workout but to ensure this poor form would not be continued.
A few days later, I witnessed another trainer with two clients. They presented (in my view) to be newer to exercise. The trainer had them doing jumping jacks....I am going to believe these were "timed" intervals. I watched and within about 15-20 seconds both lost form...a few seconds later...taking breaks and then going back to poor form. And what was the trainer doing??? Look at the phone!! Maybe to watch the time of the interval (ok - benefit of the doubt!!) However, not once did this trainer stop what they were doing and refocus the work!!!
How do you think the clients felt?? Do you think they felt "successful"?? I will go out on a limb here and say...heck NO!! Most likely they were questioning why they were paying someone to put them through this - they may have felt like failures!!
Instead of being connected to the clients and changing the work to meet their ability, he tuned out and then gave them a core exercise that they were equally unprepared to execute.
I could go on and on with examples but I think you are getting the picture. I hope that trainers that are reading this will take note and "think" about their interactions with clients. Change your behavior if any of this or other situations of no connection exist!
Group exercise instructors (me included) need to take note of the being connected message. I know how challenging it is to correct participants in a group class. I struggle with this a lot! I also know that at times as we are teaching we are also getting in a workout. Just remember - we are there for participants! Find a way to connect with those not using great form or that need to take it down a notch. Take it down yourself...chances are the one(s) struggling will follow you! And, whenever you can find a way to connect - one on one - with those with poor form to teach individually the right way.
And finally....for those of you that are clients of personal trainers PLEASE speak up if you need! You deserve undivided attention to your workout and your goals. You are paying for this attention! And -- if something does not feel right it most likely isn't! Speak up - tell the trainer your challenge with the exercise or equipment - he/she should be able to come up with guidance or replacement of the exercise. And if they are not paying attention - too much small talk, on the phone, connecting with others in the gym, not correcting form, not "hearing" you and they continue the behavior after a conversation, move on to a new trainer. Do not accept less!
In the last few weeks I have witnessed troubling interactions between trainers and clients. As a Personal Trainer I believe that it is my professional responsibility to know my clients, including their strengths, challenges and most important, their goals. This means that there is no cookie cutter workout that will work for all clients. The one workout works for all is something I have witnessed pretty frequently. In fact, I paid for a Personal training session at a "spa" to be given the exact workout I watched the trainer give to someone else the day before....
Did I call him out on this....no...although in hindsight I should have.
In his situation I figured he was giving "most" a "basic" routine that they could take home and be safe...there was not going to be a long-term commitment to the client or his/her goals...so although not real happy that he did not try to understand my goal in the session; I also was not totally surprised.
In my experience, as a trainer, I do get "hooked" on a routine, pieces of equipment, cardio options that I find beneficial so I can understand how trainers get "connected" to these and give to all clients. I was guilty of this myself for awhile. Then, one day, as I watched a client have some challenges I realized that I "lost" her goal.....I quickly regrouped; refocused. We talked at the end of the workout and redefined the workout - happy ending for sure and great lesson learned!
As I stated in the beginning of this blog...I have witnessed less than effective workouts between clients and trainers. In some the client is executing an exercise in horrific form. I watched as the trainer illustrated the move without specifically expressing to the one client (there were two) that his form was not correct! Actually, his form was so wrong I am very surprised he did not get an injury!!
And during this interaction there was "no stopping" to fix; no refocusing to stop "chatting"; no true correction of form not only to benefit in this workout but to ensure this poor form would not be continued.
A few days later, I witnessed another trainer with two clients. They presented (in my view) to be newer to exercise. The trainer had them doing jumping jacks....I am going to believe these were "timed" intervals. I watched and within about 15-20 seconds both lost form...a few seconds later...taking breaks and then going back to poor form. And what was the trainer doing??? Look at the phone!! Maybe to watch the time of the interval (ok - benefit of the doubt!!) However, not once did this trainer stop what they were doing and refocus the work!!!
How do you think the clients felt?? Do you think they felt "successful"?? I will go out on a limb here and say...heck NO!! Most likely they were questioning why they were paying someone to put them through this - they may have felt like failures!!
Instead of being connected to the clients and changing the work to meet their ability, he tuned out and then gave them a core exercise that they were equally unprepared to execute.
I could go on and on with examples but I think you are getting the picture. I hope that trainers that are reading this will take note and "think" about their interactions with clients. Change your behavior if any of this or other situations of no connection exist!
Group exercise instructors (me included) need to take note of the being connected message. I know how challenging it is to correct participants in a group class. I struggle with this a lot! I also know that at times as we are teaching we are also getting in a workout. Just remember - we are there for participants! Find a way to connect with those not using great form or that need to take it down a notch. Take it down yourself...chances are the one(s) struggling will follow you! And, whenever you can find a way to connect - one on one - with those with poor form to teach individually the right way.
And finally....for those of you that are clients of personal trainers PLEASE speak up if you need! You deserve undivided attention to your workout and your goals. You are paying for this attention! And -- if something does not feel right it most likely isn't! Speak up - tell the trainer your challenge with the exercise or equipment - he/she should be able to come up with guidance or replacement of the exercise. And if they are not paying attention - too much small talk, on the phone, connecting with others in the gym, not correcting form, not "hearing" you and they continue the behavior after a conversation, move on to a new trainer. Do not accept less!
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