Why personal trainers can't be trusted

If you find a great personal trainer they are worth their weight in gold!!! It's too bad one person spoils it for others. But like everyone has said, you need to find one that knows their stuff. BTW, I do deadlifts almost every visit with my trainer!

I've had and currently work with great PT's, my only gripe is that none of them seem capable of counting or marking time!!
My 15 reps is always more ( when I remember to count too) and I'm sure the 60 seconds they time are the longest minutes ever!!!

Other than that my commitment to pt is now an essential part of my training - not an indulgence.

As a personal trainer, I find it offensive to group all personal trainers together and say that they can't be trusted or that they are all bad. Yes a lot are bad but you can find good ones as well. The best ones usually find their own private studio to train at after spending a little time at a commercial gym to gain experience training clients. It is best to find a trainer that actually looks like he does as he preaches because you will see a lot of trainers that don't even look like they work out.

^^ agreed, being a personal trainer as well you see the good with the bad. however, that does not mean we all have no idea what we are doing. now it doesnt help that a lot of corp. gyms will hire on the spot if you flash a cert their way, but good ones get thrown in there as well. before i was a trainer i picked my trainer based on did they look like they worked out & watched a few sessions. i wanted someone who i saw having results, not just someone who passed a test.

and for the record deadlifts = awesome. part of my back workout and stiff legged ones are included in legs. they have strengthened my lower back, and i am no bodybuilder. i want to be able to do 150! getting there @ 135 right now :}

Yep--it's all them "other trainers" who are the bad ones. ....:laugh:

Funny, I just switched personal trainers. My former trainer was of the "ladies should stick to machines and not free weights" mindset. I met with my new trainer last week and I told him specifically that I liked doing deadlifts. His reply, "You and I are going to get along GREAT then because that's the best exercise there is." :-)

So far all the workouts we've done have included free weights (or body weight exercises) and light cardio. I like this guy.....

Body weight exercises and light cardio has you liking this guy hey? What kind of program are you doing again

I've had and currently work with great PT's, my only gripe is that none of them seem capable of counting or marking time!!
My 15 reps is always more ( when I remember to count too) and I'm sure the 60 seconds they time are the longest minutes ever!!!

Other than that my commitment to pt is now an essential part of my training - not an indulgence.

I will admit that, especially with newer exercises, I often don't bother to count reps. I am too focused on the client's form and am concentrating on subtle changes that let me know they have pushed as far as I want them to for that set.

There are other clients who definitely need to see the barn approaching and push much harder if they are given a set target of reps. Even then I sometimes won't have a predetermined target number of reps. I just watch them get to a certain point and then give them an end goal of "2,3,4 whatever" reps to go so they can finish strong.

There are a good trainers out there. You just have to find them.

It would help people out if good trainers lobbied for standardized knowledge across competing certification bodies, so people knew what to look for.

(which seems to be happening in pilates: http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3278 ) <- wrong page before, sorry

It's been a topic of discussion for at least 25 years. There are several reasons why it never goes anywhere:

1. Powerful enemies--professional organizations like physical therapists oppose it because they don't want the competition; commercial health club owners opposed it because it would cost them more money.

2. A lot of trainers are only interested in becoming the next faux "fitness celebrity" ala Jillian Michaels, so they are not interested in improving the profession as a whole.

3. It's hard to study and look in the mirror at the same time.

4. There is no consensus concerning core standards.

5. The only way a standard licensure bill would pass would be if it grandfathered all existing trainers. So you would just be institutionalizing the chum.

Yup.

There are a good trainers out there. You just have to find them.

It would help people out if good trainers lobbied for standardized knowledge across competing certification bodies, so people knew what to look for.

(which seems to be happening in pilates: http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3278 ) <- wrong page before, sorry

It's been a topic of discussion for at least 25 years. There are several reasons why it never goes anywhere:

1. Powerful enemies--professional organizations like physical therapists oppose it because they don't want the competition; commercial health club owners opposed it because it would cost them more money.

2. A lot of trainers are only interested in becoming the next faux "fitness celebrity" ala Jillian Michaels, so they are not interested in improving the profession as a whole.

3. It's hard to study and look in the mirror at the same time.

4. There is no consensus concerning core standards.

5. The only way a standard licensure bill would pass would be if it grandfathered all existing trainers. So you would just be institutionalizing the chum.

Right, sorry, of course, I'm sure it's all a nightmare. A few questions, though:

Re 1, I wonder if there's some middle ground that might be exploited. Because physios in the US are shortly going to need doctorates to practice, if they don't already, and will probably want to run their own clinics; over the next 5-10 years, are they really going to want to do what they might consider 'mid-level' work, for their investment? PTAs are stuck to their PTs in institutions. I've seen (but can't afford) a handful of really great clinics where physios & trainers & Pilates instructors work collaboratively. But those are singular examples, and who knows, with this economy. Commercial clubs, well, they're shark pits, true.

Re 4, doesn't the American College of Sports Medicine have a research-based consensus statement on exercise? edit: ah you mean standards of COMPETENCE. of course. sorry. There's a new body in my area for a different (new) class of health professional, made up of 3 or 4 legacy professions. They're not done establishing standards, and it's been 5 years. Still, possible, if there's a will. But I guess what you're saying is there isn't.

2, 3 and especially 5 do seem kind of insurmountable.

Thank you for taking the time to explain.

(and i have to apologize for exposing everyone to my thought process. i have a cold but can't say it's often better.)

There are a good trainers out there. You just have to find them.

It would help people out if good trainers lobbied for standardized knowledge across competing certification bodies, so people knew what to look for.

(which seems to be happening in pilates: http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3278 ) <- wrong page before, sorry

It's been a topic of discussion for at least 25 years. There are several reasons why it never goes anywhere:

1. Powerful enemies--professional organizations like physical therapists oppose it because they don't want the competition; commercial health club owners opposed it because it would cost them more money.

2. A lot of trainers are only interested in becoming the next faux "fitness celebrity" ala Jillian Michaels, so they are not interested in improving the profession as a whole.

3. It's hard to study and look in the mirror at the same time.

4. There is no consensus concerning core standards.

5. The only way a standard licensure bill would pass would be if it grandfathered all existing trainers. So you would just be institutionalizing the chum.

Wise are you Azdak.

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

Age does NOT bring "wisdom", but it does bring perspective. So I have lots of "perspective".........

Please don't say "personal trainers suck".. not all of them do. For a real personal trainer, you have to spend big bucks.. the "cheap" ones are barely educated, barely have real life experience and say stupid statements like the one you got. If your personal trainer is closer to $70/hour then they probably know what they are talking about... You get what you pay for.. that is VERY true for personal trainers.

Do you know what you have to do to become a basic "get the initials" CPT? Not much! Experience and knowledge are what matter.