Is anybody else's body put together wrong or is it just me?!

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LittleJem01
LittleJem01 Posts: 51 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
OK, so I've recently joined a gym for the first time in years and I've really been enjoying it, but I had a free session with a personal trainer last night and it's really made me worry! He carried out a quick physiognomy assessment and basically said that everything about my body apart from my shoulders and upper back is put together wrong (my head tilts to the right, my pelvis is elevated to the right and has extensive posterior tilt, knees are internally rotated, ankles roll inwards and toes point out) and all of this puts me at very high risk of injury. He did say that he can give me excercises to do that will help to mitigate some of these issues, but that's not part of the free assessment and there's no way I can pay £200/month for a personal trainer. I was wondering whether anyone on here could offer any advice on what I should focus on, or maybe point me in the direction of research I could do for myself as I haven't got a clue where to start!

I know I have a long way to go to achieve proper fitness and I really wanted to get into running and lifting but now I kinda feel like my body is set against me before I even properly start, so any advice you guys can offer would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    wow that's a new one...money grab...run far away from that trainer...if you were put together so wrong I am sure a doctor would have noticed before this...
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    edited March 2015
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    wow that's a new one...money grab...run far away from that trainer...if you were put together so wrong I am sure a doctor would have noticed before this...

    Yep, this! I can't believe someone could say that to you. Surely someone would've noticed by now?!

    Sounds like it's just a posture thing.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Most likely he is after your money. If you are concerned and want to be on the safe side, get an appointment with a dr or physiotherapist (the personal trainer will not fix anything anyway). I had once a yoga instructor suggest that there was something wrong with my foot and one ankle rolling inward and I ignored him. After all I have been running for years, and never noticed anything myself. It turns out he was right and he was seeing the first signs of a problem that later did cause an injury which has been troubling me for months now. Since the trainer pointed several issues in your case and then tried to sell you an expensive program, I find it very unlikely taht there is a problem, but if you want to be 100% sure, visit a dr.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Sounds like he's trying to scam you. However, the things he pointed out can be legit physiological items. Now whether that puts you at risk for injury is debatable. Its very common to develop hip/pelvic tilt, an many people's knees are built different. Are you in any pain currently?
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    He's a personal trainer, not a orthopaedic doctor, physiotherapist, or physical therapist.
    If you hadn't mentioned pounds, I would have asked if you ran into my ex - who is a trainer who likes to think he's qualified to do what that trainer did to you.

    Everyone pretty much is put together "wrong".
    I had PFS, tendonitis, anterior pelvic tilt, scoliosis, limited ROM in my right shoulder.
    If you want a legitimate diagnosis and plan of attack, go to an ortho dr, physiotherapist, or physical therapist. They are the ones qualified to tell you what is wrong with your body and give you ways to fix it.

    With a legitmate diagnosis, it's pretty easy to find the exercises to fix the problems
  • chrissimochris
    chrissimochris Posts: 1
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    What a rip off. After your money so walk away. I must admit there are 7 personal trainers in my gym and I trust 2 the others don't train their clients properly about form so they could end up being injured. The human body is complex and no one person is the same so sti worrying about this 'expert' he's a doofus
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I think I have to agree with Stef...sounds like a money grab. None of us are put together perfectly and everyone has little body quirks, I'm sure, but it seems he sounds to me like a mechanic finding extra things wrong with a car to drive up the bill.

    Anyone not learning proper form is at risk of injury, so a good trainer for form is never a bad idea when first learning to lift. 200 a month seems a little excessive, but not sure how many sessions that breaks down to. Where I am finding a private trainer is usually more budget friendly than buying a package through my chain gym. I do see one off and on and am doing a 10 pack for 400 with a trainer who is also a kinesiologist currently, but we've stretched those sessions over the whole winter and still have a few left. I also found another good trainer that has 10 packs for 250 at the gym she owns. It's important for me as I have some old injuries I don't want to make worse when I switch up my routines. Maybe look around a bit to see if you can find someone for at least a few sessions to learn proper form and make you feel more comfortable
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    LittleJem01 wrote: »
    OK, so I've recently joined a gym for the first time in years and I've really been enjoying it, but I had a free session with a personal trainer last night and it's really made me worry! He carried out a quick physiognomy assessment and basically said that everything about my body apart from my shoulders and upper back is put together wrong (my head tilts to the right, my pelvis is elevated to the right and has extensive posterior tilt, knees are internally rotated, ankles roll inwards and toes point out) and all of this puts me at very high risk of injury. He did say that he can give me excercises to do that will help to mitigate some of these issues, but that's not part of the free assessment and there's no way I can pay £200/month for a personal trainer. I was wondering whether anyone on here could offer any advice on what I should focus on, or maybe point me in the direction of research I could do for myself as I haven't got a clue where to start!

    I know I have a long way to go to achieve proper fitness and I really wanted to get into running and lifting but now I kinda feel like my body is set against me before I even properly start, so any advice you guys can offer would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

    Run far - Run fast!
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    Wow never heard that one.

    Did he do x-rays? No? Then he doesn't know what he's talking about. Find another trainer and hopefully that one will be more honest.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,029 Member
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    If you're concerned, go to your doctor ... or to a chiropractor ... or to a physiotherapist.
  • deoliveiraf
    deoliveiraf Posts: 13 Member
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    See a chiropractor. He will be able to diagnose whether these 'issues' do exist, and work on getting your body back into alignment if they do actually exist.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Physiognomy is "the assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face."


    Apparently, he assessed your personality and thought you'd be an easy scam. Find a new trainer.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
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    The pelvic tilt likely has to do with sedentary life and lots of sitting. It's not in common in the first world and can be addressed with exercise. Possibly corrective exercises if it persists. Some of the rest is simply the way you are built and assuming you don't injured your self in the mean time your body will strengthen its self appropriately to support those areas. Lots of injuries happen when people jump head long into a fitness regimen and make great progress quickly. Your muscles and cardiovascular system respond almost immediately to exercise compared to connective tissue. Take the same approach to exercise as everyone suggests for weight loss and you will more than likely be fine.
  • myfelinepal
    myfelinepal Posts: 13,000 Member
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    How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! -- Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    deoliveiraf wrote: »
    See a chiropractor. He will be able to diagnose whether these 'issues' do exist, and work on getting your body back into alignment if they do actually exist.

    God no, don't see a chiropractor. They're quacks.

    If you really are concerned, see an orthopedist or a physical medicine MD, but if you're not in pain or your movement is not limited, you're fine. (I'm an RN by the way).

  • LittleJem01
    LittleJem01 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks for all the responses folks. I did wonder whether he was just picking up on minor things to frighten me into forking out the £s, but I'm such a novice at all this that I wasn't 100% sure. He did offer a cheaper alternative which was basically online coaching with no face-to-face contact but I don't really see the point of that; if I'm as wonky as he says then my form will need a lot of correction and he can't exactly fix that by email!
    rybo wrote: »
    Sounds like he's trying to scam you. However, the things he pointed out can be legit physiological items. Now whether that puts you at risk for injury is debatable. Its very common to develop hip/pelvic tilt, an many people's knees are built different. Are you in any pain currently?
    I suffer a bit with my lower back and have had sciatica in the past, also my knee joints do hurt when I squat with weight but that's about it.

    The doctor/physio/chiropractor suggestions are good; given that the consensus seems to be that he's a shark, though, I'll maybe see how I get on in the gym before I go down that road.
    LoraF83 wrote: »
    Physiognomy is "the assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face."

    Apparently, he assessed your personality and thought you'd be an easy scam. Find a new trainer.
    That made me laugh!! I can't remember the word he used in the summary, physiognomy sounded right in my head but clearly isn't it.......or maybe it was haha.

  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    deoliveiraf wrote: »
    See a chiropractor. He will be able to diagnose whether these 'issues' do exist, and work on getting your body back into alignment if they do actually exist.

    OP: Do not see a chiropractor. They can do more harm than good.

    If you are concerned, see an orthopedic physician or physical therapist.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Definitely see a doctor about these issues if you're truly worried. A lot of these things can be fixed with physical therapy exercises, and a physical therapist would be more equipped to assist you than a personal trainer.

    I have over-stretchy ligaments in my knees (multiple doctors have told me so), and that makes me prone to knee problems (specifically IT band syndrome, but also tendinitis), but I do strengthening exercises and I run just fine. I also have weak muscles around my hips, so I have to do core and stability work to make sure they stay in place; when they slip out of alignment, it's awful! So I'm not put together 100%, but there are ways to strengthen those weak areas and continue on with running, lifting, whatever you want to do. A little misalignment here and there just makes us unique :)
  • blobby10
    blobby10 Posts: 357 Member
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    I use a McTimoney Chriopractor once or twice a year to correct similar issues. Very few people have a correctly aligned pelvis and if you consider this to be the foundation of your skeleton it makes sense that if your pelvis is skew whiff then you cannot be walking 'level'.

    I need to go and see her now as I noticed in the gym that when doing squats the bar resting on my left shoulder is higher than my right. This usually indicates a skewed pelvis for me.

    OK there will be many people on these boards who shout down my experience and tell me I'm a fool for parting with my money and that all chiropractors are charlatans but I know how much better I feel afterwards and can now tell when I need to see her. She charges me £40 for an hours session. Theres no 'cracking' or 'jerking' just gentle manipulation.

    For what its worth, I would suggest finding one local to you and giving them a whirl. If they are professional they shouldn't charge more than about £50 for the initial consultation and £40 for subsequent ones.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    lishie_rebooted wrote: »
    He's a personal trainer, not a orthopaedic doctor, physiotherapist, or physical therapist.
    If you hadn't mentioned pounds, I would have asked if you ran into my ex - who is a trainer who likes to think he's qualified to do what that trainer did to you.

    Everyone pretty much is put together "wrong".
    I had PFS, tendonitis, anterior pelvic tilt, scoliosis, limited ROM in my right shoulder.
    If you want a legitimate diagnosis and plan of attack, go to an ortho dr, physiotherapist, or physical therapist. They are the ones qualified to tell you what is wrong with your body and give you ways to fix it.

    With a legitmate diagnosis, it's pretty easy to find the exercises to fix the problems

    This is why I think most personal trainers are toolbags.

    No one's body is put together perfectly. One of my legs is longer than the other, one of my boobs is bigger than the other...

    If what he told you has you concerned, make an appointment with your doctor for a checkup

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