Would you use a 'unfit' looking personal trainer?

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Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member


    My teacher owns his own Gym and Nutrition Studio and has been teaching at this school for more than 20 years.. I think he knows his stuff..

    The thread is "would you use an unfit trainer". so yes, I gave my opinion. You don't have to get defensive.
    I'm just stating that a year isn't much time to understand something well enough to train others.

    I'm sure your teach "knows his stuff". I wasn't doubting him. I was doubting the ability to become a good trainer after a year. It takes longer than that to learn proper execution of the lifts.

    I'm sure you won't have trouble finding clients in some fitness center, so don't get all flustered with me. I was stating a point that I personally wouldn't work with someone who only lifted for a year and didn't look like they trained....wasn't a direct statement towards you. I think it's great that you want to help people.

    And who said I don't look like I train?
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member

    And who said I don't look like I train?

    again. I had answered the original question. wasn't responding to you personally saying you don't look like a trainer.
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member

    And who said I don't look like I train?

    again. I had answered the original question. wasn't responding to you personally saying you don't look like a trainer.

    Oh lordy I can see this one becoming emotional. We've all played quite nicely so far, keep the gloves up folks :wink:
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member

    Oh lordy I can see this one becoming emotional. We've all played quite nicely so far, keep the gloves up folks :wink:

    no worries.
    I wasn't saying harsh things about her specifically.
    I just don't believe people can train others without knowing more about training themselves............
  • sin485
    sin485 Posts: 125 Member
    Sometimes trainers are much older, or have injuries and can't train like they used to, but are still very knowledgeable and experienced.

    thats a very good point
  • bsmcdonald0513
    bsmcdonald0513 Posts: 15 Member
    "Those who can't, teach"

    "Those who can't teach post inane comments about teaching on the internet."
  • Unknown
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  • reasnableblonde
    reasnableblonde Posts: 212 Member
    Nope, I need a trainer who's been in the trenches and can share experiences. Mine does natural fit competitions, ran track in college, and is very knowledgeable. He knows about working with proper form, avoiding injury, working around issues like a nasty cut on my finger that keeps me from doing deadlifts and certain other moves right now for fear of re-opening it, etc. He shares personal experiences with me and is able to demonstrate all moves. I also trust him when he's spotting me. Other trainers are really built up, but my trainer is strong and lean. He's a good match for me and my goals.

    I took a spin class once with an instructor who was very overweight. I don't know her story or how long and hard she's worked, but I do know that her workout was not NEAR as intense as my normal instructor, who was very lean and very into cycling. I liked her music, but I left class with significantly less sweat than normal.

    I guess it depends on what you're looking for, what you NEED, where you're at, and what inspires you to grow and push through.
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
    "unfit", maybe, but not overweight. If I were to use a trainer it would be to help me with weight loss, so I wouldn't want an overweight person telling me how to lose weight.

    You shouldn't be listening to a personal trainer about nutrition in general anyway. They generally do not have nutrition degrees and are not qualified to charge $ for "diet counseling". I see this all the time and as an RD it baffles me how people are often more likely to listen to a trainer about nutrition than an actual licensed expert, just based on their appearance.
  • soulfulsally
    soulfulsally Posts: 326
    A personal trainer just focuses on weight training, right? I might use an unfit looking one, if I knew they really know their stuff.
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member

    What about a NEW personal trainer, who has only been working out for 18 months?

    Then they haven't become an expert in 18 months, so they aren't qualified to teach.

    Do you want a school teacher that just decided she wanted to teach last year, and took a weekend certification? (thank god education doesn't work quite the same way the fitness industry does0

    actually the course I am doing is a YEAR LONG course how does that mean i'm not qualified?
    it's on campus, we have classes from 9am-4.30pm 4 days a week, (included in the cert 3 is how to do practically every lift known to man kind) there is also a student run Gym there which we get to run classes and train clients in for super cheap.

    A Bachelors or better yet a Masters degree from an accredited university in Nutrition and/or Kinesiology makes you qualified as a fitness and nutrition expert. Not a year long "course" in some privately owned "fitness and nutrition studio" business. Check yourself a little bit.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member

    A Bachelors or better yet a Masters degree from an accredited university in Nutrition and/or Kinesiology makes you qualified as a fitness and nutrition expert. Not a year long "course" in some privately owned "fitness and nutrition studio" business. Check yourself a little bit.

    That depends on the course of study and where you took the course.
    A 2 year degree from a college doesn't really make someone an expert on training athletes or nutrition.
    But I can agree that some of the certifications are far to easy to get.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    I have seen your theme through out this topic. I was one of those guys who just read and learned and did nothing. I was up to 400lbs, knew my stuff but didn't do anything. When I put theory in to practice, it was not what i expected. It's very different. Talk is cheap, until you actually do it, then you really can't say anything about it.

    As I said before, some of the fittest people on MFP ask me for advice. Yet I look "average" now. Yes I am getting results, but not fully there yet. I have worked with guys who are down to 4% bodyfat, I have worked with fitness models. It doesn't mean I don't know what the hell I am doing. A good example of where the rubber meets the road. Is low carb, i done low carb for a year. I told you there is no advantage to fat loss. You say it works, I guess it's one of those things you have to learn from experience.

    Yep. And I'm not saying that I wouldn't neccessarily train with someone who looked unfit, if I knew they actually had the experience.
    Mine was moreso a combination of knowing they weren't fit, and just got a certification.

    I value experience over theory any day....and not everything works quite as well for everyone but overall something that works, works.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    And how do you know they aren't in the middle of a weight loss journey themselves?

    Because most people don't walk up to their PT's and go OMG why are you so fat?

    Plus talking about weight loss is not something a lot of people do unless they are specifically asked... and how rude would it be of a potential client to ask if they plan on losing weight just so they look like a sterotypical PT?

    So what that you can lift/run and are super fit.. unless you look like it, not a lot of people are going to trust you.

    Which is why my course does not finish for another 3 months and by then I shall look the part...

    So you think.. You may not.

    You can't snap your fingers and say in 3 months, I'll look like XYZ... I really wish our bodies worked like that, but alas they don't.
  • DivaMoe40
    DivaMoe40 Posts: 159 Member
    Nope. I mean, you don't have to be perfect and/or ripped, but if you don't have any muscles I don't think I would listen to what you say about developing muscles no matter how much you know "in theory" about it.

    Agreed
  • swolegirlcb
    swolegirlcb Posts: 67
    No. I wouldn't.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member

    What about a NEW personal trainer, who has only been working out for 18 months?

    Then they haven't become an expert in 18 months, so they aren't qualified to teach.

    Do you want a school teacher that just decided she wanted to teach last year, and took a weekend certification? (thank god education doesn't work quite the same way the fitness industry does0

    actually the course I am doing is a YEAR LONG course how does that mean i'm not qualified?
    it's on campus, we have classes from 9am-4.30pm 4 days a week, (included in the cert 3 is how to do practically every lift known to man kind) there is also a student run Gym there which we get to run classes and train clients in for super cheap.

    A Bachelors or better yet a Masters degree from an accredited university in Nutrition and/or Kinesiology makes you qualified as a fitness and nutrition expert. Not a year long "course" in some privately owned "fitness and nutrition studio" business. Check yourself a little bit.

    I am planning to do a Nutrition Degree, followed by a Dietitics course once I finish my Diploma in Fitness actually. Don't judge what you don't know.
    Where did you get the idea that it is in a privately owned business? TAFE/CIT is on campus based learning with qualified teachers. You can learn a lot of different skills there, it is a lot more leniant than Uni but it is no way privately owned. http://cit.edu.au/
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    if I liked them and they were a good fit for me and didn't have me doing a bunch of nonsense that I didn't want to be doing lol. I wouldn't use a personal trainer, anyway... I'd rather just do what I want to do at the gym instead of have someone tell me what to do.
  • lyndall5311
    lyndall5311 Posts: 146 Member

    What about someone who has just started working as a CPT?


    I have actually just swapped trainers to a trainer who has just completed his CPT. My old trainer was getting very complacent and would keep going on about how he was the best and I would never leave him.

    My new trainer is a black belt in tae kwon do in his 30's, so knows what he wants to do for a career, eager and pushes me alot further than my old trainer.

    By the way, he isnt ripped or muscly, but is really really fit.
  • anemoneprose
    anemoneprose Posts: 1,805 Member
    A PT should model health, energy and fitness. I wouldn't require one I paid to be ripped, but I'd question one who couldn't practice self-care (but sets expectations for me), or who didn't seem to have a genuine passion for activity.

    Knowledge, a good *experiential* knowledge of biomechanics & *skill in communicating these* are hugely important. + solid awareness of injury/rehab issues, and, knowing what to do with older people, women, etc.

    Also important - common sense & awareness of a range of approaches. (Not everyone can or should do HIIT, just because it's 'the best cardio for fat loss'.)

    Videos are only so useful - it might look like you're doing a movement correctly from afar, but there are more informative, subtler signs up close, and real-time correction helps.

    Lastly, programming. Frig, man. It's taken a lot of time to learn the little I know from reading, & a lot of effort to cut through the swath of bull on the web.

    My bad-but-fit-looking-PT anecdote, from years ago: he insisted I NEVER walk faster than 2 mph for ten mins on the treadmill, or lift more then 10 lbs, ever. I'd run 20 mins to get to the gym, and carried 25 lbs of groceries on the way home on public transit :noway:
  • knittingwitch
    knittingwitch Posts: 231 Member
    No way. How could I trust someone telling me I can do this and just push through it when it doesn't look like they could do it them self's. One time I went to a step class and the teacher wasn't in good shape, she had muscle tone but looked like she didn't take care of her self out side of class. Needles to say I didn't get that great of a workout good thing the class was free.

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