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personal trainers unreliable

post #1 of 42
12/31/10 at 1:05pm
Thread Starter 
I use two coaches now - boxing and swimming. both are great at what they do, but are really unreliable. maybe one in 10 meetings they fuck up.

I tell myself that is probably why they make their living doing this and not a real job.

anybody else have this problem, or is it my bad luck?
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post #2 of 42
12/31/10 at 1:09pm
I've never had a coach, except for a friend whom I email here and there about running.

That said, my guitar teacher is always present and sometimes prepared for the lesson (such as they are), but our nanny is getting the boot for a number of reasons, absenteeism being notable.
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post #3 of 42
12/31/10 at 1:12pm
I scheduled trainer sessions exactly 5 times in my life, at two different clubs. Out of these 5 times, 2 of the appointments were no-show by the trainers. I think being a flake is a pre-requisite to get these jobs.
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post #4 of 42
12/31/10 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
I use two coaches now - boxing and swimming. both are great at what they do, but are really unreliable. maybe one in 10 meetings they fuck up.

I tell myself that is probably why they make their living doing this and not a real job.

anybody else have this problem, or is it my bad luck?
How did the boxing trainer fuck up?
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post #5 of 42
12/31/10 at 2:01pm
My problem with trainers that I've seen is they try to get people to move a ton of weight with poor form. I guess it's easier to convince someone your program is working if you have them doing 400# half squats instead of forcing them to do about a third of that with safe, proper form.

It gets really bad with women. I saw a trainer put a tiny woman, who had obviously never squatted, under 135 lbs. He also put a box behind her. She was shaking and telling him there was no chance, yet he persisted. She managed to bend her knees slightly and he had to help her lower the bar onto the pins, which was nearly impossible given the box. It was appalling, and I'm sure she was injured.

It's probably better at better gyms, but even some of the crossfit promo videos have parts where they're making women do things that are just

Off topic I guess, but I just had to air that.
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post #6 of 42
12/31/10 at 2:05pm
Get new trainers??
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post #7 of 42
12/31/10 at 2:12pm
I've had nothing but excellent personal training, but I've used slightly more expensive guys who actually have reliable jobs in the field rather than a lot of them for whom it's a sort of fly by night operation.
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post #8 of 42
12/31/10 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
I use two coaches now - boxing and swimming. both are great at what they do, but are really unreliable. maybe one in 10 meetings they fuck up. I tell myself that is probably why they make their living doing this and not a real job. anybody else have this problem, or is it my bad luck?
That's an unfortunate attitude to take. Look into their credentials, globe. When I was personal training I knew that a lot of people I was working with were people who finished a couple of courses and decided they would be trainers. I know a few guys I'd have to cover for because they just didn't show up for their appointments but I can only count those on one hand. Anyway, it's equally bad on both ends though. I'd see a far higher number of clients skipping out on their appointments either because they forgot or because they didn't bother calling to say they couldn't make it. This is all personal training, mind you, so I'm not sure what boxing coaches are like.
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post #9 of 42
12/31/10 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotter View Post
I use two coaches now - boxing and swimming. both are great at what they do, but are really unreliable. maybe one in 10 meetings they fuck up.

I tell myself that is probably why they make their living doing this and not a real job.

anybody else have this problem, or is it my bad luck?

I used to have personal trainers for workouts, but they seemed more interested in making money than helping you fulfill your goals. I just use P90X now. Far better!
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post #10 of 42
12/31/10 at 3:05pm
I've never understood the need for a personal trainer. When I decided to put my body in order, I asked a gymnast for the proper exercise and have done it religiously every day.
With the combination of a death camp diet I've gone from 196 lbs in January to 145 in December.
I think in boxing or most activities, it's just a question of practice. By practice I mean doing it every day no matter what. Sick-hangover-depressed-screw it and do whatever routine you've set up.
Just my 2$
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post #11 of 42
12/31/10 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Godot View Post
I've never understood the need for a personal trainer...it's just a question of practice. By practice I mean doing it every day no matter what. Sick-hangover-depressed-screw it and do whatever routine you've set up.
Just my 2$

Most people have the impression that their trainer has a magic pill so they don't actually have to do the work.
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post #12 of 42
12/31/10 at 3:16pm
Setting appointments and having money attached to it also helps some people keeping that schedule of practice.
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post #13 of 42
12/31/10 at 3:18pm
Important to research trainers. As in most fields, the good and the mediocre charge the same amount, so if one can't count on a personal recommendation, try to observe a few in action. I think the trainers who also teach regular classes are generally better overall. It's also easy to take a class with one or another to see how they work and think.
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post #14 of 42
12/31/10 at 3:20pm
most trainers I've worked with (not as a client, experiences from working at a gym for 7+ years) are either a)students putting time in or b)career losers decked out in lululemon who cut routines out of fitness magazines and know shit about fuck. a) are likely to be stoned and b) are likely to be plain stupid. you might luck out and get someone who knows what they're doing and is passionate about it, but most of the time you're either getting a kid or a burnout.

keep in mind there is no single certificate trainers need to get in order to be qualified; many certs aren't worth the paper they're printed on. NSCA is a good cert if you're interested in lifting; pretty much every other place will certify trainers with inhouse programs that are complete shit. I was fully certified as a ymca personal trainer in group fitness and individual conditioning at the age of 18 despite knowing absolutely nothing about anything.
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post #15 of 42
12/31/10 at 11:33pm
At the very least get a trainer who looks good. There was a chubby trainer at my last gym and I'll never understand how people even gave him a first chance. He also made fat girls do some pretty embarrassing and dangerous stuff.
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