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When I can't help........

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Replies

  • JessD9031
    JessD9031 Posts: 581 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    Since she's new to the gym - she probably has no idea if you have new posters rotated around and added every once in awhile.

    Time to start including a couple as someone suggested. Get that subliminal suggestion going.
    She new to our gym, but it's obvious this girl knows how to work out. She sets up her own station then checks her phone for workout. And once she puts her headset on, she's oblivious to her immediate surroundings. I watched her for like 10 minutes one time while on the floor and she never looked around once.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Her picture is probably on the post office wall. Can you lift some fingerprints off the handles, or does she wipe everything down after?
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,994 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Well it's pretty much as I thought. If she wants to come in to work out on her own, there's nothing we can do to stop her unless she's performing an exercise that could be "physically dangerous" (IE like hanging upside down and doing crunches) or she faints and we have to attend to her.
    Again a fine line as to what we can do without repercussion if she decides we are singleling her out due to her disorder. We have several "challenged" people here (I train a down syndrome kid and just got a new client who has special needs and has a chaperone) and to not address them the same way would be discrimination. So we're just stuck until she does something wrong in training or she actually comes to us and requests help.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Oh man.. that’s rough.

    Well. When she keeps over on your floor, at least you’ll be prepared.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    JessD9031 wrote: »
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    Since she's new to the gym - she probably has no idea if you have new posters rotated around and added every once in awhile.

    Time to start including a couple as someone suggested. Get that subliminal suggestion going.
    She new to our gym, but it's obvious this girl knows how to work out. She sets up her own station then checks her phone for workout. And once she puts her headset on, she's oblivious to her immediate surroundings. I watched her for like 10 minutes one time while on the floor and she never looked around once.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Her picture is probably on the post office wall. Can you lift some fingerprints off the handles, or does she wipe everything down after?
    In our gym, it's a requirement to wipe down. We provide the wipes in several stations around the gym. Those that refuse to can have their membership suspended. True story. And I'm the guy that enforces it.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Onedaywriter
    Onedaywriter Posts: 326 Member
    Maybe you guys can make the weight gain a little less aggressive (like 2 lbs) and let her train - making the first training session mostly focused on nutrition for sports or something like that?
    I’m my state trainers cannot give specific diet plans etc but can discuss federally recognized standards like calorie minimums, macro and nutrient RDAs etc.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member

    Onedaywriter wrote: »
    Maybe you guys can make the weight gain a little less aggressive (like 2 lbs) and let her train - making the first training session mostly focused on nutrition for sports or something like that?
    I’m my state trainers cannot give specific diet plans etc but can discuss federally recognized standards like calorie minimums, macro and nutrient RDAs etc.
    The weight suggestion was because people with this disorder will gain less than half that was asked and if it's 2lbs, then a 1 lb gain can be just done drinking water.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • Antiopelle
    Antiopelle Posts: 1,184 Member
    @ninerbuff: I do applaud your commitment and your empathy, and I just wanted to give you a slightly different look on this:

    One of my longtime best friends is probably very similar to your client, and even for us who have know her for decades, there is a line about food that we do not cross. She knows very well that there is an issue (a poster on the door will be neglected for sure). Also, she is extremely well educated about food and nutrition.
    My friend is also incredibly strong for her weight, she is literally all bones and muscles and she participates in incredible sports challenges. Maybe your client is like that as well, as you say that she is doing reps in good form. It might also be that coming to the gym is already a very big step for her.

    I'm not sure that there is anything you can do, except be mindful.

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    Antiopelle wrote: »
    @ninerbuff: I do applaud your commitment and your empathy, and I just wanted to give you a slightly different look on this:

    One of my longtime best friends is probably very similar to your client, and even for us who have know her for decades, there is a line about food that we do not cross. She knows very well that there is an issue (a poster on the door will be neglected for sure). Also, she is extremely well educated about food and nutrition.
    My friend is also incredibly strong for her weight, she is literally all bones and muscles and she participates in incredible sports challenges. Maybe your client is like that as well, as you say that she is doing reps in good form. It might also be that coming to the gym is already a very big step for her.

    I'm not sure that there is anything you can do, except be mindful.
    Yep. All I can do is just monitor what she does and see how it goes.

    And I understand disorders to a point. I'm semi OCD when it comes to organization, where I CONSTANTLY walk through our gym and rearrange weights so the racks all look the same. I'll do it on breaks between sets on my own workout. Doesn't matter if I'm working or not. I get to the gym and rerack weights and just before I leave. I can let it go once I leave, but while I'm there it's a constant thing on my mind.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with this, Niner.

    It's so incredibly difficult to watch someone do the slow suicide. Without nutrition the brain of course doesn't work correctly and with her addiction/compulsions it's just a super sad chain of events unfolding in slow motion. Way more than anyone in a gym setting can handle.

    I hope she finds help, but it's really doubtful.
  • qhob_89
    qhob_89 Posts: 105 Member
    I haven’t seen this recommended and due to the liability it may not be possible, but a thought I had so I’ll throw it out there. I know you’re all released of liability as long as she works out on her own, not sure if there’s a clause anywhere in the gym contract that also individually protects trainers of liability. But would it be possible for a trainer to agree to train her, but adjust a “typical session” (I put this in quotes because I know sessions are probably pretty individualized already) to be pretty light for her? Like exercises you feel pretty confident wouldn’t cause injury or harm?! Leaving her on her own will prevent anyone from being responsible for her injury, but won’t really give an opportunity for intervention. However, maybe if a trainer gets involved with her, they’ll be able to build some rapport and eventually be able to encourage some better habits. Of course, this would be a bit tricky to “challenge” her enough to not blow of her trainer since she seems to be training pretty hard on her own, while balancing a light enough routine where the trainer would feel comfortable that she won’t get injured.

    Refusing service isn’t going to do much since all she has to do is go down the street to the next gym where she can train on her own. Informative posters aren’t a bad idea, but I know anytime I’ve gone to the gym I put in my headphones and get “in the zone,” I’ve never really paid any attention to what’s on the walls.

    If everyone is fine with stepping back and just keeping an eye out for a bigger issue to occur, then of course there’s always the recommendation of live and let live… either way it says a lot that you care enough to ask for other opinions and recommendations, so I applaud you. I’m sure it’s a struggle for all of you to watch!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with this, Niner.

    It's so incredibly difficult to watch someone do the slow suicide. Without nutrition the brain of course doesn't work correctly and with her addiction/compulsions it's just a super sad chain of events unfolding in slow motion. Way more than anyone in a gym setting can handle.

    I hope she finds help, but it's really doubtful.
    It's doubtful she'll change unless a major intervention happens. I don't know of anyone yet that has recovered to the point that they are at a natural weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    qhob_89 wrote: »
    I haven’t seen this recommended and due to the liability it may not be possible, but a thought I had so I’ll throw it out there. I know you’re all released of liability as long as she works out on her own, not sure if there’s a clause anywhere in the gym contract that also individually protects trainers of liability. But would it be possible for a trainer to agree to train her, but adjust a “typical session” (I put this in quotes because I know sessions are probably pretty individualized already) to be pretty light for her? Like exercises you feel pretty confident wouldn’t cause injury or harm?! Leaving her on her own will prevent anyone from being responsible for her injury, but won’t really give an opportunity for intervention. However, maybe if a trainer gets involved with her, they’ll be able to build some rapport and eventually be able to encourage some better habits. Of course, this would be a bit tricky to “challenge” her enough to not blow of her trainer since she seems to be training pretty hard on her own, while balancing a light enough routine where the trainer would feel comfortable that she won’t get injured.

    Refusing service isn’t going to do much since all she has to do is go down the street to the next gym where she can train on her own. Informative posters aren’t a bad idea, but I know anytime I’ve gone to the gym I put in my headphones and get “in the zone,” I’ve never really paid any attention to what’s on the walls.

    If everyone is fine with stepping back and just keeping an eye out for a bigger issue to occur, then of course there’s always the recommendation of live and let live… either way it says a lot that you care enough to ask for other opinions and recommendations, so I applaud you. I’m sure it’s a struggle for all of you to watch!
    The issue here is if she's willing to even pare down. The biggest issue with this disorder is that they ALWAYS want to burn off more than they consume. So a less intense work out means less calories burned. And while they may appease the trainer, that doesn't stop her from still training on her own the way she's training now.
    What's so hard about this is the discipline that it takes her to NOT gain weight could be completely great if she applied herself to getting to a normal weight. But again, this is a mental disorder more than a physical one.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png



  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    I've dealt with this before on a couple of occasions in other gyms I've worked at, but we recently added a new member to our gym who was seeking help apparently. Anyway long story short, since she's joined, there's nothing I can do to help her. Let me explain:

    This new member has an eating disorder. She's approximately 5'1" and 69lbs. When she joined she was paired up with one of our new trainers. The trainer did the RIGHT thing and told her that she couldn't use her training sessions until she saw at least a 5lbs weight gain on her next visit. Well the girl refused to weigh in the next visit and said she would nix the training sessions until she was ready on her own. But since that time, she's been coming in 2 times a day and working out for about an hour each time. No cardio, but lots of lifting with high reps.

    There's nothing I or staff can do to stop her. The line is so fine here. Making suggestions are okay, but I haven't yet found a person with this disorder who complies. And until she actually injures herself or faints, etc., we can't stop her from coming in and working out on her own. Especially since what's she's doing is in good form and she doesn't look like she's exhausting herself.

    But we know fully that this is how she's compensating for anything she's eating. I'm guessing she's not consuming more than 500 calories a day max.

    I know there will be feedback on this, so maybe someone can give some input and possibly give me insight on what we may be able to do to help her curtail her behavior.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Did she tell you that she has an eating disorder?

    I'm just wondering about a scenario where she is recovering from some other illness which caused the weight loss, in which case refusing to train her would be bad. (Although the training for a couple of hours every day does support your suspicions - just wondering if it was confirmed.)

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