Personal Trainer pushing me to do machines

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  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
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    So I've been doing the Stronglifts 5x5 for a few months now and got my weights up significantly. I just felt like my form was terrible so I wanted some help with that.

    So I hire a PT to help me out and now he's put me on machines! I really enjoyed the free weights, should I pressure him to let me do free weights or should I just shut up and do as told?

    You are the boss. Turn to your trainer say, "You don't even lift, brah." Then move on to another one.

    Good job with the free weights! Machines don't allow for a natural movement and can often lead to injury by overdeveloping specific muscle groups and now allowing stabilizers or tendons to grow with it. The only machines that are fine I suppose are the lat pull downs and cable machines.
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
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    Show your trainer this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OloLS5kTrVs
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
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    If you want to stay with free weights, and the trainer says you have form issues they are worried about, tell them you are willing to drop the weight to work on form, but don't want to use machines. If your trainer is any good they will jump on your willingness to check ego at the door and get back to basics.
  • chel325
    chel325 Posts: 199 Member
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    He is a very big obese guy but he says he power lifts and has lost 200 lbs. I don't know what to think. He seems honest and maybe my form is really that bad?

    I just really figured the best way to fix was to practice.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    If he's a powerlifter, he'll jump to showing you the core lifts.
  • chel325
    chel325 Posts: 199 Member
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    Find a trainer with a background in powerlifting and/or Olympic lifting. Most trainers suck for teach the basic compound movements. Just because they are certified doesn't mean much either.

    As an example at my gym there are 4 trainers. All 4 are "certified". All four have college degrees related to fitness. Only 1 knows proper form for dead lift, squat and bench. The other 3 are like your trainer.

    Jeff
    Unfortunately he says he's a powerlifter but he's significantly overweight. I'd put him at maybe 300-350 lb with high body fat (no muscle definition at all) is that trustworthy? Not trying to be rude or anything
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I know a guy at #300 who warms up with 425 on the bench press.

    Would he make a good coach? Probably not.

    Simply put, if he's a trainer, and a legit powerlifter. He'll jump at the chance to teach you the main lifts properly. If he's full of the brown stuff, he'll be captain machines-a-lot
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
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    I agree with dbmata.

    Question why he doesn't want to teach you the main lifts. As far as being overweight, he could be if he is a powerlifter.
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
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    So I've been doing the Stronglifts 5x5 for a few months now and got my weights up significantly. I just felt like my form was terrible so I wanted some help with that.

    So I hire a PT to help me out and now he's put me on machines! I really enjoyed the free weights, should I pressure him to let me do free weights or should I just shut up and do as told?

    ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me tell you, I am on my second trainer, I won't fire this one!! The first one would tell me what she felt I needed to do and NEVER listened to me at all!! In turn I got hurt, got emotional and I stopped going to the gym!! Determined I returned, got a BETTER trainer and have him 3-5 days a week instead of 1 day with the other girl!! If they don't work with you on form and stuff I would get a different trainer, one who listens to you!! YOU are paying for the service!!

    Just a sidebar...my trainer has me doing circuit work on the turf most often. His belief is that it addresses everything.. He says sitting on a machine doesn't fully benefit me the way turf work does. Now if I work with him MORE than 3 days, he will use a day or 2 on the machines to do strength so I don't overdo it.

    Good luck! Let us know how you do!
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
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    Okay yeah, I really expressed how I wanted to stay with free weights and on the days I wasn't with him I'd be doing it. He's claiming the machines will help my form but somehow it won't really? Doesn't practice make perfect?

    Get a different trainer.. I just posted above about this...
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    get a new trainer. just because someone is a trainer at the gym doesn't mean they are comfortable with free weights, he's probably just trying to get you to do what he knows.

    i've had to show trainers (who were interested when they saw me doing it and stopped me in the gym when no other potential customers around how to do cleans and turkish get ups). i dont blame them because trainers make their money through their clients and the average gym goer isn't going to be interested in the non-sexy compound lifts .

    what you can do is specify that you are looking for a trainer with powerlifting or competitive weight lifting experience or someone who has trained athletes. these are the people who you can be sure know compounfd free weight lifts at a commercial gym
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
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    Find a trainer with a background in powerlifting and/or Olympic lifting. Most trainers suck for teach the basic compound movements. Just because they are certified doesn't mean much either.

    As an example at my gym there are 4 trainers. All 4 are "certified". All four have college degrees related to fitness. Only 1 knows proper form for dead lift, squat and bench. The other 3 are like your trainer.

    Jeff

    YES!! This is exactly it!! And years of experience to boot!! We ALL can become personal trainers if we take the courses, doesn't mean we know all there is to know. The girl I had before was a 24 year old who lost weight, went to some training class and got certified. The guy I have now was just crowned Mr. Buffalo 2014, has been competitive since he was 13, has many years experience with training under his belt, I think he said almost 25 years (I am not sure exactly there's not much chatting when he's pushing me...) LOL I brag because I see so many results on me that I didn't last year...that's all!! Really happy with the trainer have now! And that's where you should be at too, happy!! If you're doing something you don't want to do, it discourages and makes you regress...just saying from my own experience. Sorry didn't mean to blow up the feed...LOL
  • SuperJo1972
    SuperJo1972 Posts: 113 Member
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    You are the boss. Turn to your trainer say, "You don't even lift, brah." Then move on to another one.

    Good job with the free weights! Machines don't allow for a natural movement and can often lead to injury by overdeveloping specific muscle groups and now allowing stabilizers or tendons to grow with it. The only machines that are fine I suppose are the lat pull downs and cable machines.
    ^^^ this. :-) find a trainer who will work with your goals.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
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    Alice dark was right on target. You are paying customer They should look at what you want to learn and your goals. If they have a reason and it seems fair to stop and shift for awhile fine. NEVER let PT bully yo into something you don't want or feel comfortable with you know your body. Trust is one of the most important things with a PT
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    Alice dark was right on target. You are paying customer They should look at what you want to learn and your goals. If they have a reason and it seems fair to stop and shift for awhile fine. NEVER let PT bully yo into something you don't want or feel comfortable with you know your body. Trust is one of the most important things with a PT

    what if the trainer legitimately doesnt know? i know the right thing for them to do would be to say 'sorry i'm not the right pt for you" but i doubt all of them would be willing to turn down money.

    case in point, yesterday i saw one of the crappy trainers (actually that's not fair he might be perfectly OK PT with machines) teach someone to do squats and overlooked them doing half squats with bad form. not only did he overlook it, but he also added more weight between sets!!

    i can only imagine that giving a PT an ultimatum to show me what I want or else would just be inviting that type of shenanigans that i saw
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    If you're paying him he should be showing you what you want to do. Don't worry, we've all been there.....'your sure you don't want to do 2x15 reps at 5lb on all the machines?!'

    He's either sexist or doesn't know the proper form - sack him!
  • chel325
    chel325 Posts: 199 Member
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    Okay everyone thank you! I'm going to keep insisting free weights. I will say I'll do his machines but he has to go over form each time with me.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,180 Member
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    He is a very big obese guy but he says he power lifts and has lost 200 lbs. I don't know what to think. He seems honest and maybe my form is really that bad?

    I just really figured the best way to fix was to practice.

    If your form is really that bad, do the moves without weigh or go back to an empty bad. Frankly, you will not learn how to squat or deadlift on a machine, You can work through the moves with just bodyweight, then move to an empty bar. Frankly, if I was training someone who wanted to do stronglifts who had really bad form I would start with the actual exercise using just their bodyweight to see where the problem is, then work on it rather than messing them up with machines.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Don't pressure your trainer.

    Fire him
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    If a person is injured or has severe mobility issues then machines may be appropriate. Otherwise, I would try and stick to free weights for the majority. Machines certainly have their place though, especially with the super uncoordinated people. Could take them 6 months to learn how to squat properly when they could have been spending that time on the leg press actually gaining some strength.

    By the sounds of your situation though, I would be looking for a more appropriate trainer. If he is a powerlifter then he should have no issue demonstrating and teaching good form on the big 3. Fark, we spend probably 80% of our gym time doing them :laugh:

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