Weight lifting-denied!

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tcxyz2011
tcxyz2011 Posts: 29 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just had my first personal training session today to see how I would like it and it was horrible. I specifically mentioned that I wanted to start weight lifting as my resistance training M,W,F and the personal trainer was like 'well as a newbie, I am going to have you do this circuit of machines', umm..no. I am disheartened that he wouldn't show me proper form or setup for weight training with barbells. Instead my hour consisted of machines and then 15 minutes of one on one training with him, which he was basically trying to sell me sessions for the future and I politely told him I was not interested. So I guess I am going to start stronglifts 5x5 on my own. I was hoping that he would have said absolutely and started to show me proper form and then I would have bought some personal training sessions. I am just worried that my form, especially squatting, is going to suffer.
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Replies

  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
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    this happened to me too.....twice. two different gyms, two different trainers. what the hell is up with that??? :angry: :angry:
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    Sounds like you got a lucky escape from that trainer.
    There are some videos on you tube you can check out re form. Also join the strong lifts group on mfp.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    this happened to me too.....twice. two different gyms, two different trainers. what the hell is up with that??? :angry: :angry:

    They probably don't know (or don't like) compound freeweight exercises.
  • Aliciaaah
    Aliciaaah Posts: 379 Member
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    I got a new membership at a gym close to home, after already lifting regularly at a gym while I was traveling. It was this exact same thing! At my gym, when you sign up, you have to have a "Welcome training session" thing where they basically just try to sell you sessions. I tried to stress to him that I wasn't just some newb. That I'd lost a lot of weight previously, and had been lifting for a while.

    I will say that they don't know you, or your capabilities so they're not going to push you like you might want in the beginning. My guy kept telling me to breath. I refrained from telling him that I was breathing, it's just that what he had me doing didn't make me breath hard lol.

    Don't get discouraged, just look around and find a trainer that you like, who will work with you and get to know you. Or ditch the trainer and pick up a good lifting program. Maybe hire someone for one or two sessions, tell them this (insert program like 5x5) is what you want to do, and don't let them tell you no. Tell them that you hired them to teach you proper form, and that's it.

    Good luck!
  • russduan1
    russduan1 Posts: 1
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    A little trick when doing squats......before you lift stand in front and center yourself in front of the bar/dum bell. Then, pick a spot on the ceiling in front of you and focus on it. This will help you keep your back straight as you lift and also when you squat, keep focus on that spot you picked.....hope this helps.......
  • tcxyz2011
    tcxyz2011 Posts: 29 Member
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    I have a 30 minute session with the same guy next Monday. I am going to speak up and tell him that I am going to weight lift and if he does not want to show me proper form and the like, that is fine and he will not be getting my money, plain and simple. I am hoping he will start to show me and I will pay for a few sessions until I feel comfortable on my own. Thanks for the reply everyone.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Go to the management, explain the situation, and ask for a refund of your session fee or a complimentary session with another trainer who will show you the proper form for the exercises. If you really are planning on buying more sessions, mention that. No gym manager with half a brain is going to turn away an opportunity to correct a situation that is going to lead to more money.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Which is why I've never wasted money on a personal trainer. You can check your form without paying some guy a bunch of money to tell you how you should be lifting. I watch a lot of videos and form, especially those by Mark Rippetoe, and take videos of myself on my phone when I work out to check my own form. Another way is to find a seasoned lifter (or two) and ask them to watch you squat and see what they think. If you see someone that looks like they know what they're doing in the squat rack, ask them if you can do a set while they watch because you'd like to learn from them - it's an ego boost.

    I work out at home, so I rely on my videos to check my form, but it should be easier at the gym.
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
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    find someone that will help you. As we speak, I have a hot pack on my shoulder from starting 5x5 on my own on Friday and I mucked up my shoulder something horrible. I know it was due to bad form - otherwise, it wouldn't have hurt. I tore something and regret it terribly.
  • summer8it
    summer8it Posts: 433 Member
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    I had a somewhat similar experience. I bought a Groupon for a 3 month gym membership that came with a 1 hour training session. When I set up the session, I specifically asked for a trainer who would work with me on free weights. I met with the trainer, explained I was doing NROL, and asked her to work with my on my form on the main lifts. Instead, she spent the whole time on a functional assessment and then a bodywork session (she was a former massage therapist, and got me on a table to work on my tight IT bands.)

    It wasn't a huge disappointment, since I'd only spent $10 on the Groupon and I did at least get a bodywork session and some good info from the assessment, but it wasn't what I'd wanted to do. I could tell that I was expected to sign up for full-price sessions... I didn't.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Unfortunately, most people who want to sell you "training sessions" don't actually know anything about training, least of all strength training. Fortunately, there is a wealth of free information online and free quality tutorials on YouTube. I know that videos aren't a substitute for real, in-person training. But they are a perfect substitute for fake, in-person "training."
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have a 30 minute session with the same guy next Monday. I am going to speak up and tell him that I am going to weight lift and if he does not want to show me proper form and the like, that is fine and he will not be getting my money, plain and simple. I am hoping he will start to show me and I will pay for a few sessions until I feel comfortable on my own. Thanks for the reply everyone.

    Innocently ask how much of his sessions come by way of referral to him and/or gym specifically.

    Then mention what you want to do.

    Then mention you might even desire to pay for a few sessions to keep checking form as time goes on.

    And before you meet with him, check out the bio's for any other trainers at the gym. New folks usually are assigned round-robin basis, but you don't have to pay for that specific trainer.
  • tinglesby
    tinglesby Posts: 96 Member
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    Ugh i hate that!! i get it that he wanted to start you off slow, but its YOUR session! YOU paid for it, and you wanted him to show you proper techniques and form, which it what (I thought!) personal traning sessions were for.
    Tell the dude what it is you want from your time with him, what works for you and what youre interested in,(CUz lets face it, if you dont enjoy it--you wont keep doing it!) and if he doesnt want to or cant give you the proper training and direction you need, find someone else who will. Its YOUR money! :)
  • iRun_Butterfly
    iRun_Butterfly Posts: 483 Member
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    Start SL 5x5, start light, go slow and learn form. Keep it simple to start and learn those 4 lifts. I've been doing it almost 4 months. There are tons of very helpful videos online, and honestly, once you get in the weight room, there will be some help, maybe not always good help, but watch the other people, learn from them. Don't let that trainer discourage you and don't be afraid to try it on your own.
  • tony49837
    tony49837 Posts: 15 Member
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    For what it's worth, and as the husband of an ACE certified personal trainer, starting out on machines is actually a good thing. A machine is specifically made to force you to use the correct form for weight training. Free weights, you can very easily use improper form, not get the desired results you want, and most importantly, before you know it, you can hurt yourself. Yes, I know from experience. It took about 8 weeks for my shoulder to heal after I knew best and used free weights and hurt myself. Think about it, two gyms, two trainers both told you not to do free weights yet. Having somebody do exercises they aren't ready to do, holding proper form they aren't ready to hold, is irresponsible. If a trainer has you do free weights out of the gate, you need a different trainer. Yeah, I know, not what you wanted to hear or do, but it's the truth. Maybe the trainer didn't explain it well to you, or you just didn't want to hear it. Tony
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Personally, I would cancel your next session and look for a different trainer. The first time I met with a trainer, I told her that I was interested in learning how to lift with the barbells, and would like to just do free weights. She walked me over to the Smith machine instead of the squat rack. Um...NO.

    You shouldn't feel like you owe this guy another session. There are lots of bad trainers, but also lots of good trainers, and no need to waste time with a bad one.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Yeah, at my former gym (Goodlife Fitness) I had a few experiences like this:

    1) A person that worked there didn't know what a squat rack is.
    2) Two people showed me something that was not a squat rack and told me it was the squat rack.
    3) I asked if someone at the gym could watch my form, and they told me it was too dangerous for me to use the squat rack and should use machines instead.
    4) A trainer said I should just use the bar because she highly doubts someone like me wants to lift 2.5 times my body weight.
    5) They were all about money and way over-priced.

    I switched to a gym that is more weight lifting oriented. They have way more and better stuff. And it is half the cost. And the personal training is accessible, affordable, and you can do a short amount to see how you work with the trainer before signing up long term.
  • stardance1
    stardance1 Posts: 20 Member
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    I always assume that if a trainer just has people do machine circuits, they don't really know what they're doing. I'd go to whoever is in charge at your gym and ask for a trainer that knows how to do free weights.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    Stronglifts 5x5 is a free online programs that INCLUDES videos.

    http://stronglifts.com/5x5/

    There are also plenty of useful links in the Eat, Train, Progress group:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
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    get the book "Starting Strength" it goes into tiny detail regarding form. You really can't go wrong.

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