My personal trainer dilemma

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  • gameovergt
    gameovergt Posts: 502
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    good luck
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    FIRE HIM! And here's why....

    1. Personal Trainers CANNOT legally give nutrition advise without a specialty certification in nutrition or a license as a registered dietitian. If he had either of those, then he wouldn't be giving you a drastic meal plan because we're taught better then that in a reputable program.

    2. He is "prescribing" his plan because he doesn't know any other plan. Unfortunately, there isn't a national regulation on the requirements to be called a personal trainer (other then they can't use the initials PT after their name because that is reserved for Physical Therapists), so any Joe Blow off the street can call themselves a personal trainer even without a certification or with a bare bones minimum certification. Unfortunately, those are the guys who think that what they do for themselves will work for everyone but in actuality they likely look in shape because of good genetics not a great program. NO PROGRAM WORKS FOR EVERYONE but this type of trainer tends to act like they have the magic secret that works 100% of the time.

    3. His job is to listen to you and give you the service you are paying for. He should never prescribe a program that doesn't focus on your goals. If he can't do that, then he needs to be in a different business.

    4. That's more then a 2 pound per week loss. Anyone with any kind of an education in the fitness and nutrition realm knows better then to recommend that much of a loss. Losing that much that fast sets a person up for a rebound weight gain when they go back to normal eating.

    5. Drastic diets that cut out ANY food sets the client up for failure, or at least the feeling of failure. They will either feel so guilty when they splurge once in a while and quit, or they will go off the plan after the 3 months and have a rebound weight gain from eating normally again. Healthy eating is a lifelong process. Diets don't work. It has to be a lifestyle change. And lifestyle changes mean things you can live with for a lifetime. If you like a certain food, then you have to be able to include it in your eating so you can see results without perceiving failure for eating it. Anyone who has a nutrition education knows this.

    6. He's selling you on supplements. Sorry, but that is a major red flag. He's more focused on making money then actually helping you.. Don't walk away from this guy, RUN yelling and screaming the whole way.

    7. This is more a personal reason for me then for your needs, but as a trainer it appalls me that these guys still get to be in the business. They won't ever get an actual education in fitness or nutrition if they are allowed to keep behaving this way because the general public doesn't know that they are idiots. Maybe if the general public learns to fire them for poor performance, then they will straighten up and quit making the rest of us look like uneducated goofs.
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
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    Kudos to you for speaking up! And for recognizing that what you were given may not work for you. I agree with the other posts - you have to tell your trainer this is not a fit for you. He/she should be professional enough to work with you to change the program so that it's something you can follow and be successful.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I can tell you that all trainers are one thing before anything else.. Salespeople! When I first signed up with my trainer, I had signed on for three sessions to make sure I liked the guy and all I got was well you need to talk to this person and we need to sign you up for more sessions! You only have 2 left! Eventually I went look, If you didn't pressure me so much into signing up for more sessions, maybe I'd actually do it. That shut him up real quick.. and what happened? I signed up for more sessions cause he started focusing more on my workout then me signing up again.

    Try talking it out with this trainer and if your not happy then go and find someone else. At my gym, the personal training sessions are yours and if your not happy at anytime, I just go and talk to the manager and I'll be set up with someone else.
  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    FIRE HIM! And here's why....

    1. Personal Trainers CANNOT legally give nutrition advise without a specialty certification in nutrition or a license as a registered dietitian. If he had either of those, then he wouldn't be giving you a drastic meal plan because we're taught better then that in a reputable program.

    This is exactly what I was going to say. They can make recommendations like "I have seen X work well in some of my clients" but prescribing a meal plan is over the line.

    Give him the boot. Personally I don't like personal trainers because I have seen too many bad ones. Now, I am not saying they are all bad, it is just that there is nothing one of them can tell me that I can’t research and come up with on my own. Plus you learn more that way rather than just doing something because you are told to.
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    I agree with the other posts.
    I think the best approach would be to just be very direct and specific with him and tell him what YOUR goals are and that is what you want to work toward. If he's adamant or wont' revise his plan for you, I'd find another trainer. If he's not listening to you in the beginning and off on his own tangent, it probably won't get any better in the long run. In my opinion, your trainer should be someone you respect and feed off of, motivates you and helps you obtain what you want. Not someone that you dread interfacing with. I'd also see if you could return the products you bought and get your money back. Don't feel bad, I cave to sales pitch pressures too!
  • bigdawg025
    bigdawg025 Posts: 774 Member
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    I'm not keen on the trainers that's for sure, I have only used one of my two complimentary sessions with a trainer because 1) he wanted me to sign up on the spot for a 6 month plan with a trainer while I was still even trying out the fit for the gym, which I had signed up for. 2) he wanted me on products, I don't DO supplements or pills, it takes a LOT for me to take something for a headache, when I go for one you know it's a pesky one (whey protein and bran fiber etc I consider as something else)

    Yes... this stuff is almost EXACTLY what I've gone through in my first session, which by the way, didn't count as a session out of my 5. Who the hell even tries let alone actually loses 12% body fat in 3 months???? I mean seriously here... I'm an active person, and I know from past experience that 1-2% MAX is what's expected in one month... 4% a month is ridiculous!
  • Russellb97
    Russellb97 Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I think it's great to have a personal trainer with both personal and professional experience. It's hard finding the right one, and we aren't cheap so you don't want to pick wrong. If you do pick wrong, switch asap and don't waste your money.
  • BobL436
    BobL436 Posts: 43 Member
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    FIRE HIM! And here's why....

    1. Personal Trainers CANNOT legally give nutrition advise without a specialty certification in nutrition or a license as a registered dietitian. If he had either of those, then he wouldn't be giving you a drastic meal plan because we're taught better then that in a reputable program.

    2. He is "prescribing" his plan because he doesn't know any other plan. Unfortunately, there isn't a national regulation on the requirements to be called a personal trainer (other then they can't use the initials PT after their name because that is reserved for Physical Therapists), so any Joe Blow off the street can call themselves a personal trainer even without a certification or with a bare bones minimum certification. Unfortunately, those are the guys who think that what they do for themselves will work for everyone but in actuality they likely look in shape because of good genetics not a great program. NO PROGRAM WORKS FOR EVERYONE but this type of trainer tends to act like they have the magic secret that works 100% of the time.

    3. His job is to listen to you and give you the service you are paying for. He should never prescribe a program that doesn't focus on your goals. If he can't do that, then he needs to be in a different business.

    4. That's more then a 2 pound per week loss. Anyone with any kind of an education in the fitness and nutrition realm knows better then to recommend that much of a loss. Losing that much that fast sets a person up for a rebound weight gain when they go back to normal eating.

    5. Drastic diets that cut out ANY food sets the client up for failure, or at least the feeling of failure. They will either feel so guilty when they splurge once in a while and quit, or they will go off the plan after the 3 months and have a rebound weight gain from eating normally again. Healthy eating is a lifelong process. Diets don't work. It has to be a lifestyle change. And lifestyle changes mean things you can live with for a lifetime. If you like a certain food, then you have to be able to include it in your eating so you can see results without perceiving failure for eating it. Anyone who has a nutrition education knows this.

    6. He's selling you on supplements. Sorry, but that is a major red flag. He's more focused on making money then actually helping you.. Don't walk away from this guy, RUN yelling and screaming the whole way.

    7. This is more a personal reason for me then for your needs, but as a trainer it appalls me that these guys still get to be in the business. They won't ever get an actual education in fitness or nutrition if they are allowed to keep behaving this way because the general public doesn't know that they are idiots. Maybe if the general public learns to fire them for poor performance, then they will straighten up and quit making the rest of us look like uneducated goofs.

    Pefectly said! I am currently aspiring to be a certfied NASM CPT, and this is right on point. No trainer should be suggesting dietary planning and supplements unless they are also certified in nutrition as a registered dietician!!!
  • robintellez
    robintellez Posts: 7
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    Are you in Las Vegas? I had almost the EXACT same experience last year with a guy who didn't believe he needed to listen to me. I'm obviously not w/him anymore. I think everyone here has it right; print out what you posted and have your trainer read it. When he is done, ask him to explain to you what is wrong with that picture. Ultimately, if he isn't willing to work with you and respect your wishes, you need to find another trainer. I would also suggest having a conversation with his boss; he should know his trainers are behaving this badly. And maybe the boss can get you a refund on the product you purchased. Good luck!
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
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    I'm not keen on the trainers that's for sure, I have only used one of my two complimentary sessions with a trainer because 1) he wanted me to sign up on the spot for a 6 month plan with a trainer while I was still even trying out the fit for the gym, which I had signed up for. 2) he wanted me on products, I don't DO supplements or pills, it takes a LOT for me to take something for a headache, when I go for one you know it's a pesky one (whey protein and bran fiber etc I consider as something else)

    Yes... this stuff is almost EXACTLY what I've gone through in my first session, which by the way, didn't count as a session out of my 5. Who the hell even tries let alone actually loses 12% body fat in 3 months???? I mean seriously here... I'm an active person, and I know from past experience that 1-2% MAX is what's expected in one month... 4% a month is ridiculous!


    When I followed a fat loss plan I lost 1% a week...its not ridiculous, it's achievable..just saying

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