personal trainers unreliable

Originally Posted by TyCooN

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How did the boxing trainer **** up?

my guy is a great coach, ex-pro, but he is really unreliable. I got to the point where I set an appointment, then I call him half an hour before the appointment, pick him up at his home 15 minutes before the appointment and take him to the gym. before I did that, about 1/5 of the time he simply didn't show, or booked me and somebody else at the same time.

look, for years he made his living getting hit in the head, he isn't a rocket scientist.

Originally Posted by Godot

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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$

boxing isn't really something you can practice by yourself, or at least not well. I've been using the boxing coach to improve very specific technique issues, but he's helped me inprove my skills dramaticaly.

as for the swimming coach - that is a short term thing - I didn't know how to swim well, and I am learning to swim much more effitiently and elegantly, and when I am comfortable I'll stop working with her. she's actually a great teacher, but she has missed several classes.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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my guy is a great coach, ex-pro, but he is really unreliable. I got to the point where I set an appointment, then I call him half an hour before the appointment, pick him up at his home 15 minutes before the appointment and take him to the gym. before I did that, about 1/5 of the time he simply didn't show, or booked me and somebody else at the same time.

look, for years he made his living getting hit in the head, he isn't a rocket scientist.
Ah, I'm assuming you're too busy to go to a true blue boxing gym? So you drive your trainer to a workout gym? First time I heard of a setup like this.

Originally Posted by TyCooN

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Ah, I'm assuming you're too busy to go to a true blue boxing gym? So you drive your trainer to a workout gym?

First time I heard of a setup like this.

no, no, real boxing gym. actually, the complication is that we start at 6 am, so that I can get to work on time. but I was finding that he would either not show up for my session, or show up late, or if I did it later he would have somebody else booked for my slot. so this works well, but it is sort of crazy.

and, yes, the gym has a half dozen other trainers, but I don't think that any of them are more reliable, and my guy is considered the best in terms of ability.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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no, no, real boxing gym. actually, the complication is that we start at 6 am, so that I can get to work on time. but I was finding that he would either not show up for my session, or show up late, or if I did it later he would have somebody else booked for my slot. so this works well, but it is sort of crazy.

and, yes, the gym has a half dozen other trainers, but I don't think that any of them are more reliable, and my guy is considered the best in terms of ability.
Have you ever tried training after work? Where I'm from most boxing gyms are at their busiest after school when the youngsters come to train.

Originally Posted by TyCooN

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Have you ever tried training after work? Where I'm from most boxing gyms are at their busiest after school when the youngsters come to train.

yeah, but that is when I can spend time with my kids - also, there is demand for the ring at that time. I can get the ring from 6-7 pretty much every day I want at my gym. I go into spar a few times a month in the afternoon around 5-6, but for my training sessions I like early in the morning.

It doesn't take much to become a trainer, at least not at my local 24 hour fitness. Wish I had a a local alternative (preferably a small gym without thousands and thousands of members).

most personal trainers 'train' because their psychology degree didnt work out for them, so they studied the necessary 5 minutes in order to pass whatever bullshit certification is required by the gym in which they want to train, so theyre grossly underqualified to teach anyone anything and it's not what they want to do anyway.

Originally Posted by BBSLM

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most personal trainers 'train' because their psychology degree didnt work out for them, so they studied the necessary 5 minutes in order to pass whatever bullshit certification is required by the gym in which they want to train, so theyre grossly underqualified to teach anyone anything and it's not what they want to do anyway.

+100000.

That's been my experience too. The more members in a gym, the less qualified the trainers.

Seems like kind of a bullshit thread, I mean take out "trainer" and substitute plumber or dentist or whatever, there are good ones and bad ones. For a couple years I had a great trainer, Marine reserve dude, I learned a lot and he would leave me gasping on the floor at the end of the session. He got deployed to Iraq, fortunately made it back fine but my work schedule and location have changed so we haven't started regular training again. On the other hand my gym in NYC (Equinox) is infested with trainers, the majority of whom seem to be total douches who know absolutely nothing.

Originally Posted by JoelF

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Seems like kind of a bullshit thread, I mean take out "trainer" and substitute plumber or dentist or whatever, there are good ones and bad ones. For a couple years I had a great trainer, Marine reserve dude, I learned a lot and he would leave me gasping on the floor at the end of the session. He got deployed to Iraq, fortunately made it back fine but my work schedule and location have changed so we haven't started regular training again. On the other hand my gym in NYC (Equinox) is infested with trainers, the majority of whom seem to be total douches who know absolutely nothing.
Because using common sense to pass a PT certification test is the same as spending 4 years of undergrad and at least 3 years of dental school to become a dentist. A hard workout != having an effective trainer. One's tendency towards sadism is not related their training abilities. The fact that yours left you 'gasping on the floor' means nothing. And, if your trainer was remotely like any trainer in any commercial gym, Id be willing to bet most of what you 'learned' was dogmatic broscience.

Originally Posted by BBSLM

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Because using common sense to pass a PT certification test is the same as spending 4 years of undergrad and at least 3 years of dental school to become a dentist.

A hard workout != having an effective trainer. One's tendency towards sadism is not related their training abilities. The fact that yours left you 'gasping on the floor' means nothing. And, if your trainer was remotely like any trainer in any commercial gym, Id be willing to bet most of what you 'learned' was dogmatic broscience.

and the "marine reserve" thing means **** all. i spent two years in the reserves too, guess that makes me a more effective trainer and immediately means i know more about fitness.

protip: the army doesn't teach you anything about fitness, they just grind you into the ground.

Originally Posted by jarude

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and the "marine reserve" thing means **** all. i spent two years in the reserves too, guess that makes me a more effective trainer and immediately means i know more about fitness.

protip: the army doesn't teach you anything about fitness, they just grind you into the ground.

that too.

At my gym, they are required to have at least an undergrad degree in kinesiology. Mine is always one time and never booked two clients at a time. He's very professional.

Originally Posted by JoelF

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Seems like kind of a bullshit thread, I mean take out "trainer" and substitute plumber or dentist or whatever, there are good ones and bad ones.

a friend of mine was a terrible stock trader before becoming a pt. at least in this line of work he's mediocre and there are a lot of those around here in our parts.