If you're getting a personal trainer...

songbyrdsweet

PT's can be a GREAT help. They can be motivational and supportive, putting together creative programs specific to your goals and needs. Or they can be lazy and just in it for the money, pulling plans off the internet 5 minutes before you meet. They are just like any other employee--varied.

It's important that you find out some things about your future PT. Here are some questions that I think are important based on my preparation to become one:

-Who are you certified with? (In MY OPINION, ACSM and NASC are the two top exams in terms of depth, thoroughness, and difficulty. ACE is a good one, ISSA doesn't look great to me based on how easy their practice material was, and I am not familiar with AFAA).

-How long have you been certified and training? (It's helpful to have someone with experience, but watch out for the people who have been training for 30 years and have never changed their methods.)

-How recently were you certified in CPR? (This needs to be done yearly).

-Have you worked with any special populations? (Seniors, children, diabetics, FM, MS, etc.)

-Can you take body fat measurements with calipers? (If they can't do this, they are seriously lacking basic knowledge.)

-Can you figure out my target heart zone? Max heart rate? (Same as above).

-How do you create your workout plans? (This should be BY SCRATCH FOR THE CLIENT).

In addition, watch out for the following:

-They advocate extreme calorie restriction. (They aren't licensed to give you ANY nutritional advice anyway).
-They don't ever correct your form. (No one does EVERYTHING correctly).
-They pressure you about your weight. (Check ups are okay, but trying to force you to lose faster is not).
-They talk and talk and talk. (How are they keeping track of your rest periods?)
-They don't listen to your concerns--about an exercise being very painful, dizziness, etc.


If your PT makes you feel uncomfortable, GET RID OF THEM. You are paying them, and you deserve the best service. If they do something you think is dangerous or out of line, tell the gym manager. These people are supposed to be protecting the safety of others.

songbyrdsweet

PT's can be a GREAT help. They can be motivational and supportive, putting together creative programs specific to your goals and needs. Or they can be lazy and just in it for the money, pulling plans off the internet 5 minutes before you meet. They are just like any other employee--varied.

It's important that you find out some things about your future PT. Here are some questions that I think are important based on my preparation to become one:

-Who are you certified with? (In MY OPINION, ACSM and NASC are the two top exams in terms of depth, thoroughness, and difficulty. ACE is a good one, ISSA doesn't look great to me based on how easy their practice material was, and I am not familiar with AFAA).

-How long have you been certified and training? (It's helpful to have someone with experience, but watch out for the people who have been training for 30 years and have never changed their methods.)

-How recently were you certified in CPR? (This needs to be done yearly).

-Have you worked with any special populations? (Seniors, children, diabetics, FM, MS, etc.)

-Can you take body fat measurements with calipers? (If they can't do this, they are seriously lacking basic knowledge.)

-Can you figure out my target heart zone? Max heart rate? (Same as above).

-How do you create your workout plans? (This should be BY SCRATCH FOR THE CLIENT).

In addition, watch out for the following:

-They advocate extreme calorie restriction. (They aren't licensed to give you ANY nutritional advice anyway).
-They don't ever correct your form. (No one does EVERYTHING correctly).
-They pressure you about your weight. (Check ups are okay, but trying to force you to lose faster is not).
-They talk and talk and talk. (How are they keeping track of your rest periods?)
-They don't listen to your concerns--about an exercise being very painful, dizziness, etc.


If your PT makes you feel uncomfortable, GET RID OF THEM. You are paying them, and you deserve the best service. If they do something you think is dangerous or out of line, tell the gym manager. These people are supposed to be protecting the safety of others.

arewethereyet

:flowerforyou:

Excellent post SBS.

This also applies to Physical Therapists. I went through 12 weeks of PT on 2 separate occasions, with little to no results. I thought PT was a waste of time.

The last time I insisted on LPT that was reccommended to me.

That was in June and I have continued with exercise and strength training as a result of the medical advise I was given.

Good luck and dont be afraid to speak out!:flowerforyou:

AmyNVegas

Wow this is great thanks songbyrd. :flowerforyou: I know nothing about PT and I get a free session with one each month with my gym membership and I want to start using it. Do you think it would be too much to ask the gym if they have a female trainer who has experience working with larger/obese clients?

This will really help. :drinker:


Amy:bigsmile:

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

songbyrdsweet

Wow this is great thanks songbyrd. :flowerforyou: I know nothing about PT and I get a free session with one each month with my gym membership and I want to start using it. Do you think it would be too much to ask the gym if they have a female trainer who has experience working with larger/obese clients?

This will really help. :drinker:


Amy:bigsmile:

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

I think that is a great idea! Some PT's will 'specialize' in a certain population or goal, like children training for sports or larger patients with mobility issues, etc. It's always best to get a trainer that knows a lot about your needs.

AWTY, I totally agree. I had to go for therapy back in highschool for torn rhomboids. Luckily the first one I got was nice, but it was sort of weird because it was a pediatric place and I was 17...so I was surrounded by little kiddies and there was a jungle painted on the wall LOL :laugh:

psyknife

-They advocate extreme calorie restriction. (They aren't licensed to give you ANY nutritional advice anyway).
-They don't ever correct your form. (No one does EVERYTHING correctly).
-They pressure you about your weight. (Check ups are okay, but trying to force you to lose faster is not).
-They talk and talk and talk. (How are they keeping track of your rest periods?)
-They don't listen to your concerns--about an exercise being very painful, dizziness, etc.

OMG, I see trainers at one of the gyms I work at doing this ALL THE TIME! It makes me dizzy!!!! Since I'm "just" a group fitness instructor there, however, and not a trainer (YET) I don't have a right to step in (and I wouldn't anyways, unless I were a supervisor)... but it eats me up!!!!!
YOU should be your trainer's top priority... and if they don't seem to care about you enough, then find someone who WILL!

songbyrdsweet

-They advocate extreme calorie restriction. (They aren't licensed to give you ANY nutritional advice anyway).
-They don't ever correct your form. (No one does EVERYTHING correctly).
-They pressure you about your weight. (Check ups are okay, but trying to force you to lose faster is not).
-They talk and talk and talk. (How are they keeping track of your rest periods?)
-They don't listen to your concerns--about an exercise being very painful, dizziness, etc.

OMG, I see trainers at one of the gyms I work at doing this ALL THE TIME! It makes me dizzy!!!! Since I'm "just" a group fitness instructor there, however, and not a trainer (YET) I don't have a right to step in (and I wouldn't anyways, unless I were a supervisor)... but it eats me up!!!!!
YOU should be your trainer's top priority... and if they don't seem to care about you enough, then find someone who WILL!

It bugs me too! When I watch someone trying to deadlift with a lordotic back and their head just flopping back and forth, I can't help but stare at their PT with awe and disgust.

psyknife

Yes! I see things like that... I see trainers just standing there, arms crossed, chatting away or staring off into space! Grarg!

Oh, and in regards to AFAA... I don't know how highly respected theirs is... I know their group fitness is one of the more highly regarded ones, but when searching into certifications not a single gym or fitness professional even mentioned their name to me as an option for getting my certification... which would lead me to believe that they *may* not be one of the better ones to go with... but I don't know 100%

I'm going with ACE right now. I started with ACSM, found it to be overwhelming (yipes), and switched to ACE because the study materials are laid out a little better. I still plan on going for the ACSM, however, once I've achieved my ACE certification and have a little experience under my belt

songbyrdsweet

Yes! I see things like that... I see trainers just standing there, arms crossed, chatting away or staring off into space! Grarg!

Oh, and in regards to AFAA... I don't know how highly respected theirs is... I know their group fitness is one of the more highly regarded ones, but when searching into certifications not a single gym or fitness professional even mentioned their name to me as an option for getting my certification... which would lead me to believe that they *may* not be one of the better ones to go with... but I don't know 100%

I'm going with ACE right now. I started with ACSM, found it to be overwhelming (yipes), and switched to ACE because the study materials are laid out a little better. I still plan on going for the ACSM, however, once I've achieved my ACE certification and have a little experience under my belt

Yea, the ACSM is VERY thorough. Lots of biomechanics, reading EKG's, anatomy. It's because they certify for several different things and have produced a lot of today's guidelines. They are actually the least expensive exam. NSCA is similarly difficult but more expensive. ACE is more expensive but I think more appropriate for people who haven't done the whole degree for the related field. I even find ACSM difficult and I've been studying this stuff for 4 years. I chose it for the price also. I'd like to try for a CSCS eventually, it might be fun to judge powerlifting competitions in my free time.