Gym rant - never heard of SL!!

ohiotubagal

I generally like my gym...it's just the basics, $10/month and on my way to work. It's very clean and the weight room has everything I need.

That being said, the trainers there are not so great. Today I asked if I could get one session with a trainer and just have someone watch my form on lifts. I mentioned SL and she had never heard of it...and looked at me like I had three heads. I explained what it is, and that I prefer the weight room to machines. Again a funny look.

The trainers develop their own programs and apparently don't like anything else. When I asked if I could bring my own trainer in, she hesitated, and said she would ask the manager. I couldn't even get an appointment with the manager when I asked!!

Have you run into this at all? There is a good mix of ages there, but I notice that most of the women are on machines or doing low weight/high rep, which is typical. I guess at 42 I don't fall into the "weight room" category (in their opinion). But...I don't care about that. I just want to make sure I'm doing my lifts correctly.

Anniel88

Yes! I had a free session with a trainer at my old gym and he nearly killed. we did use free weights but I was really not ready for that level and he didn't help with form at all.

I toured another gym and they told me that I wouldn't be interested in the free weight section and wouldn't even show me. I was 25 at the time and not overweight. Apparently my only problem was that I was a woman.

At the gym I go to now, the trainers would probably help and I make book a session. They have a crossfit box associated with the gym so they are much more into fitness and weights. Right now I just read, watch videos, and take my time adding weight to work on my form.

DawnEmbers

I haven't had that problem exactly. I go to a commercial gym though it costs a little more as the only 10 dollar one is planet fitness but it doesn't have barbells for a squat rack. The trainers I've had check on form for me and for the free training session had never heard of stronglifts. However, they were willing to help me on my form for the main lifts. I just went in the session knowing the general ones I needed to work on and they helped me from there. Though the one must not have known the gym had bumper plates cause she got a little snarky with me when I questioned the deadlift form practice with the fixed barbells because they are way closer to the ground compared to pulling 135. She seemed to think I wanted to try that weight but I didn't care if I was pulling with 5 lb plates, I just wanted the right height.

I see both men and women lifting with free weights and machines, the ratio just varies. Though there are way more guys but time of day also affects that as there aren't as many people in general at 11 pm lifting.

indianarose2

Oh yes! I've experienced the same thing. Some trainers are just trained to use the machines. I always expressed an interest in the free weights and one trainer told me they weren't necessary or that I wasn't ready for them...whatever. Don't rely on them to be the experts and you don't ever need their "permission" to lift the way you want to lift. Keep your eyes and ears open for someone there who actually knows what they are doing and is willing to help without condescension. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. Just keep doing what you are doing. :-)

griffithm1

indianarose2 wrote: »

Don't rely on them to be the experts and you don't ever need their "permission" to lift the way you want to lift. Keep your eyes and ears open for someone there who actually knows what they are doing and is willing to help without condescension. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. Just keep doing what you are doing. :-)

THIS^^^

ohiotubagal

Thanks for the pep talk! Glad to know it's not just me. I've asked around and I have a co-worker I may ask to help me. Just going to keep my head down and keep on keepin' on.

canadianlbs

i have that problem as well. not that i talk much about the fact that i lift, and not that i'm associating much with people who are 'supposed' to know. but just in general, i find that when the conversation does go that way, i hit this little door-sill and trip over it in my head all the time.

it would be so much easier if i could just say 'stronglifts' and have done. instead of 'this program called stronglifts' followed by 'well, you do five sets of five reps on five different lifts, and you increase by five pounds every time. except deadlift which you increase by ten pounds and only do one set on. and you don't actually do all five every time, you . . . ' so i've started to just say i do compound lifts and try to keep the weight challenging to people who really can't be expected to know. and i list them off to the people who might.

but i've found i monitor other people in the gym a little. i count their sets and their reps, and if they do five of five in the rack, then i keep an eye on them and see what they move on to next. if they get two out of three, i sometimes lurk a little and then find a moment to say - all casual-like, naturally - 'you doing stronglifts?'

ar9179

You also probably want to see how the trainer performs the lifts. I belong to the Y and proper form isn't a given among the trainers there. Last week I watched one gal do back squats and barely bending her knees. I don't think they would've qualified as half squats, even!