How would you select a lifting trainer?
ukulelist
Posts: 33 Member
Hey, sorry if this is off topic for this forum but you guys know a ton & I'm curious about your advice. TL;DR: If you're a interviewing a weight lifting coach or trainer you might work with, what do you ask them, what are the shibboleths of a good beginner trainer, and how can a noob tell the difference?
Long story: I've recently started a SS/SL program that I've tinkered with slightly (yes, I know you're not supposed to, but I'm a tool). Although I know one of the benefits of these programs is that you can progress a long way with self-training, I'm thinking about trying to start working with a weight lifting trainer or coach anyway, mainly because I'd like to shorten the loop on form corrections and advice. Currently my practice is to keep rereading Starting Strength, make terrible video tapes of myself every weekend, post them to the forum, and because you guys are awesome then have things to try and work on before the next weekend. But I feel like it would be awfully nice to get form corrections I can trust in real time while I'm working out.
I would consider going to a real gym for this (e.g. Catalyst in Sunnyvale, CA got some good reviews?) but I'm starting by talking to some trainers at my work gym to see if I can find one with the right background, because that is cheaper and would be hell of more convenient. I'm chatting with someone tomorrow morning and trying to nail down what questions to ask.
I am aware of the studies showing that the less someone knows about a subject, the less well they're able to judge whether someone else knows what they're talking about on that topic, so I'm concerned that I won't be able to judge their expertise accurately. Can any of you smarties give me some meta-advice on how to tell whether someone's strength training form and programming advice is going to be lucid or dangerous?
I will also accept advice telling me not to attempt to work with a trainer when starting out, if that is better advice
Long story: I've recently started a SS/SL program that I've tinkered with slightly (yes, I know you're not supposed to, but I'm a tool). Although I know one of the benefits of these programs is that you can progress a long way with self-training, I'm thinking about trying to start working with a weight lifting trainer or coach anyway, mainly because I'd like to shorten the loop on form corrections and advice. Currently my practice is to keep rereading Starting Strength, make terrible video tapes of myself every weekend, post them to the forum, and because you guys are awesome then have things to try and work on before the next weekend. But I feel like it would be awfully nice to get form corrections I can trust in real time while I'm working out.
I would consider going to a real gym for this (e.g. Catalyst in Sunnyvale, CA got some good reviews?) but I'm starting by talking to some trainers at my work gym to see if I can find one with the right background, because that is cheaper and would be hell of more convenient. I'm chatting with someone tomorrow morning and trying to nail down what questions to ask.
I am aware of the studies showing that the less someone knows about a subject, the less well they're able to judge whether someone else knows what they're talking about on that topic, so I'm concerned that I won't be able to judge their expertise accurately. Can any of you smarties give me some meta-advice on how to tell whether someone's strength training form and programming advice is going to be lucid or dangerous?
I will also accept advice telling me not to attempt to work with a trainer when starting out, if that is better advice
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Replies
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Ukulelist,
Good topic. I'm in....the same boat. Exactly the same. I want a trainer who can give me feedback and advice real time. I've already had an encounter with a trainer at the club we belong to and was unimpressed with their 'advice'. So igloo would like to hear what things to look for, what questions to ask, in figuring out who would be a decent weight lifting focused trainer.
Elia0 -
Unfortunately I think its hard to find a good trainer right away. But some clear signs of them being not the best are below:
1. They try to sell you stuff right off the bat.. ya know your first training session and they recommend you buy some protein from him or something..
2. You want to workout a muscle group or do something, and they direct you to something else with no reasoning or explanation except a "I'm the trainer" remark
3. Their workout consists of weight machines and doing things with ropes, cardio, etc.. your paying them for strength training not some cardio workout class.
4. During your set they are on their phone
5. Nutrition advice consists of cutting calories significantly, cutting out foods all together, or the like.
6. They tell you a way to do a move, and you don't think its right or it feels strange, go home and do a youtube if its way different than most video's.. then move on.
These are all just from observation.. I don't use a trainer (gym rat most of my life) but I definitely seen bad ones more than good ones... and for $50-100+ an hour they should be good.0 -
Could try some inquiries over at Stanford personal training. See if anyone there knows anyone decent in Sunnydale. Can't hurt anyway.
Regular chain gym trainers are a longshot. From what I've seen, hardly any of them lift. But you could ask to see them demonstrate form. When they inevitably start talking about cardio and kettlebells instead, walk away.0
