Do PTs feel that their clients are more important?

[Colin8]

This is an honest question, I am not trying to start an argument or anything.

At my gym, it seems as if all the personal trainers feel like the members who are not paying for private training are second-rate. Trainers are constantly getting in my way and making me stop in the MIDDLE of my lifts so their customers can get to a machine quicker. Many times they will set their customer up within just a few feet from me so it's impossible to do whatever lift I was doing, making me move to a different area.

Once again, I'm not trying to get anyone defensive or mad about their profession, I'm just wondering whether this is a common theme or if it's just at my gym.

[Mighty Matt]

Well, clients are on a specific time schedule and the trainer must get their workout in within the time limit. But they shouldn't be mean about it.

[Torrtrefireto]

I don't know how somebody could make you stop in the middle of an exercise....why don't you just say no? Also, I don't think most trainers are trying to be jerks but when focusing on a client I have noticed that many (even good trainers) aren't entirely aware of their sorroundings and may get in the way of other gym members.

[loudenator]

This is an honest question, I am not trying to start an argument or anything.

At my gym, it seems as if all the personal trainers feel like the members who are not paying for private training are second-rate. Trainers are constantly getting in my way and making me stop in the MIDDLE of my lifts so their customers can get to a machine quicker. Many times they will set their customer up within just a few feet from me so it's impossible to do whatever lift I was doing, making me move to a different area.

Once again, I'm not trying to get anyone defensive or mad about their profession, I'm just wondering whether this is a common theme or if it's just at my gym.

Clients have to be first for any PT because they are paying the PT to meet their specific needs, members who are paying the monthly rate should not be left out/ignored by anymeans though.

Trainers should never be in your way, its the trainers responsibility to work respectively around other members and if a machine is taken it, their suppose to find an alternative for their client while keeping everything in the time frame the client has set. If a trainer gets in your way again just tell them kindly " your in my workspace " Chances are they'll respect your upbringing because their with a client.

[MissJamille]

It is more the gyms mentality then trainers. The gyms often do that since they expect you to get a trainer, hence why you have more sales trainers then real trainers. If the gym was serious about actual training, they would set an area up for personal and athletics training away from the other patrons there. Most bigger gyms do this. Complain to the gym that they are being unfair not only to you, but to the other trainers and their clientell that are being fit into a tuna can in which there is no room to move and go to them for the very thing you pay them to have.

I am glad I work in a clinic one on one, no gym politics.

[BOLDERNECK]

This is an honest question, I am not trying to start an argument or anything.

At my gym, it seems as if all the personal trainers feel like the members who are not paying for private training are second-rate. Trainers are constantly getting in my way and making me stop in the MIDDLE of my lifts so their customers can get to a machine quicker. Many times they will set their customer up within just a few feet from me so it's impossible to do whatever lift I was doing, making me move to a different area.

Once again, I'm not trying to get anyone defensive or mad about their profession, I'm just wondering whether this is a common theme or if it's just at my gym.i don beleive its the pt"s fault the paying customer comes first but then again you are a paying customer....its realy the managements fault....that pt is folowing their orders,make money! i went to work for golds it was all about money they could careless about any people in the gym...i came from having my own business and i could not get used to treting people like ****...in addition management takes too much of your money...i mean they deserve a cut, but not half....you are doing all the work!! life is nothing compared to the all mighty dollar....it sucks!!!

[John Prophet]

Here is another way to look at it......in a sense its just survival of the fittest. Be a lion, not a mosquito, then it wont happen to you. Let it happen to the next guy but not you.

That being said, yes, some trainers are blatant dickheads like that

[precisou2004]

When Im with my trainer and if someone is using a machine, he kindly asks them if they are almost done, tells them what we're supersetting so we need whatever equipment if they arent using it etc.

But Im the kinda gal that likes to have her machines when she WANTS them LOl... easier to get them when trainer is there LOL

[John Prophet]

the REAL conflict comes in when 2 trainers battle for space, lol

"OH, mf'er..u think YOUR clients take precedence?"

[jules_d1]

the REAL conflict comes in when 2 trainers battle for space, lol

"OH, mf'er..u think YOUR clients take precedence?"

"Oh no you di'int jus' say dat"

"MMMhmmm i diiiii"

"Oh is gon; be like dat huh?"

"MMmhmmm"




:p

As trainer I like to think that my clients take priority somewhat as they are paying for a premium service. With that said I will not kick people off machines or deliberately make things difficult for others.

[BOLDERNECK]

Here is another way to look at it......in a sense its just survival of the fittest. Be a lion, not a mosquito, then it wont happen to you. Let it happen to the next guy but not you.

That being said, yes, some trainers are blatant dickheads like that THAT IS VERY TRUE!!

[Colin8]

When Im with my trainer and if someone is using a machine, he kindly asks them if they are almost done, tells them what we're supersetting so we need whatever equipment if they arent using it etc.

But Im the kinda gal that likes to have her machines when she WANTS them LOl... easier to get them when trainer is there LOL

See I find that kind of stuff ridiculous. Why should YOU get to superset without fear of getting your machine taken, while everyone else sticks to one machine at a time? What makes you so special that you don't have to wait for equipment like everyone else? (Not talking specifically about you, just a lot of people in general with this mindset)

[NDame616]

Why is anyone who claims to be a "good" trainer using a machine in the first place? Machines are for people who don't know what they are doing (other than rehabbers....) true lifters/fat loss clients use free weights and bodyweight.

Machines are a waste of time and could be dangerous. So, I just find myself a 5 foot by three foot area, and me and my client are good to go!

[Screamin]

Why is anyone who claims to be a "good" trainer using a machine in the first place? Machines are for people who don't know what they are doing (other than rehabbers....) true lifters/fat loss clients use free weights and bodyweight.

Machines are a waste of time and could be dangerous. So, I just find myself a 5 foot by three foot area, and me and my client are good to go!
This post MUST be a joke. If it's serious, I feel for you...

In any event, I've seen both happen at my gym. If the trainer knows me (most of them do), they will either check how many sets I have left or just move on. If he/she is new, they may say they need the station for their client, and I will very nicely tell them "I'm not finished yet, why don't you try (an alternative exercise I suggest) instead?"

Far too many people are willing to acquiesce to other's "needs" just because they happen to be wearing the right color shirt.

[NDame616]

You think I'm joking that machines serve no real purpose for clients that need things like fat loss or strength gain? Machines are for rehabbers. If a personal trainer is having someone use a machine, then they are lazy and doesn't understand things liek EPOC, metabolism, how to heighten metabolism, curcuit training, supersetting, etc.

If a personal trainer is using a machine, then they need to read up on new ways to train (new, as in post mid 90s.)

If you are using a majority of machines for a majority of your clients...than I feel bad for them....and you.

[Screamin]

If you are using a majority of machines for a majority of your clients...than I feel bad for them....and you.
That is NOT what you said...quit trying to backpedal. You made a blanket statement regarding machine use, I called you on it and now you want to back off?

Machines are a tool, nothing more, nothing less. Just like freeweights and bodyweight exercises. You need to use every tool in your belt to accomplish your goals. Just because you CAN build a house without a nailgun doesn't mean you SHOULD.

[NDame616]

That is NOT what you said...quit trying to backpedal. You made a blanket statement regarding machine use, I called you on it and now you want to back off?

Machines are a tool, nothing more, nothing less. Just like freeweights and bodyweight exercises. You need to use every tool in your belt to accomplish your goals. Just because you CAN build a house without a nailgun doesn't mean you SHOULD.

What blanket statement did I make and back off from exactly? Personal trainers should not be using machines. It's that simnple. If you're using a machine with a client, then you aren't a good trainer (other than rehab...like I said)

I didn't change my opinion, or backpedel off of anything. You might've misunderstood me.

[nickmanzoni]

Why is anyone who claims to be a "good" trainer using a machine in the first place? Machines are for people who don't know what they are doing (other than rehabbers....) true lifters/fat loss clients use free weights and bodyweight.

Machines are a waste of time and could be dangerous. So, I just find myself a 5 foot by three foot area, and me and my client are good to go!
I take offense to this statement. Freeweights have their place just like machines do.

I would hate to infer that you would think someone you've never met nor heard about is a "bad" trainer for using machines with a healthy client.

[NDame616]

OK let me rephrase that....

Free weights will always win for any goal over machines...other than rehab.

Free weights are better for strength
Free weights are better for fat loss
Free weights are better for hypertrophy
Free weights are better for speed/explosiveness
Free weights are better for EPOC
Free weights are functional.

I've done scores and scores of readings, attended seminars, and talked to some of the best personal trainers in the world. They have never used machines, and will never prescribe them for a client (...other than a rehabbing one) Talk to the trainers who have been training for decades and have tons of money, testamonials, fat loss success with clients, etc. They don't use machines.

Do machines have their place in a gym? Sure. Rehab, new gym goers who don't feel comfortable with weights, the elderly (who aren't confident enought o lift weights) etc.

However, when all is said and done...machines are worthless for 99% of the population. And trainers who walk about and have their obese clients do a biceps curl machine or a tricep pushdown doesn't know what they are doing.

If a client is healthy, they can use free weights. Plain and simple. Find me any example where machines are proven to be better for a given goal like strength, fat loss, hypertrophy, etc. Won't happen. You can control tempo as well with machines (tempo...does any trainer know what that is?) you can't really superset/circuit train effectively with them (supersetting and circuits...proven time and time and time again to be the best possible workout for strength, hypertrophy and fat loss for the average client)

Carry on.

[nickmanzoni]

OK let me rephrase that....

Free weights will always win for any goal over machines...other than rehab.

Free weights are better for strength
Free weights are better for fat loss
Free weights are better for hypertrophy
Free weights are better for speed/explosiveness
Free weights are better for EPOC
Free weights are functional.

I've done scores and scores of readings, attended seminars, and talked to some of the best personal trainers in the world. They have never used machines, and will never prescribe them for a client (...other than a rehabbing one) Talk to the trainers who have been training for decades and have tons of money, testamonials, fat loss success with clients, etc. They don't use machines.

Do machines have their place in a gym? Sure. Rehab, new gym goers who don't feel comfortable with weights, the elderly (who aren't confident enought o lift weights) etc.

However, when all is said and done...machines are worthless for 99% of the population. And trainers who walk about and have their obese clients do a biceps curl machine or a tricep pushdown doesn't know what they are doing.

If a client is healthy, they can use free weights. Plain and simple. Find me any example where machines are proven to be better for a given goal like strength, fat loss, hypertrophy, etc. Won't happen. You can control tempo as well with machines (tempo...does any trainer know what that is?) you can't really superset/circuit train effectively with them (supersetting and circuits...proven time and time and time again to be the best possible workout for strength, hypertrophy and fat loss for the average client)

Carry on.
Ridiculous.


If you knew anything about how hypertrophy works, it's LOAD, not freeweights.


If you can honestly say a cable row does not have it's place in a back workout, I will personally find out where you work and tell your boss you're retarded.

[John Prophet]

im a free weight guy thru and thru. one time I was doing a routine and I was curious so I checked and I was doing 20 total exercises thru the week. 16 freeweight, 2 pulleys (pushdowns, pulldowns) and 2 machines (leg press and I think it was hammer cs rows?)

that being said, for most clients, its simply not feasible to only use freeweights. It takes way too long to setup bars and collars and weights etc and you will run out of time before you get thru the routine.

Then youll have some clients who simply have NO athletic background and no coordination. for instance you have them go thru a broomstick warmup and it literally takes u weeks to get them to be able to do a broomstick twist or a broomstick bent row properly. are you REALLY going to have that client doing, say, barbell overhead jerks anytime in the near future?

So I pretty much always aim to have clients using freeweights....but sometimes machines come in handy for older clients or circuits etc

[nickmanzoni]

OK let me rephrase that....

Free weights will always win for any goal over machines...other than rehab.

Free weights are better for strength
Free weights are better for fat loss
Free weights are better for hypertrophy
Free weights are better for speed/explosiveness
Free weights are better for EPOC
Free weights are functional.

I've done scores and scores of readings, attended seminars, and talked to some of the best personal trainers in the world. They have never used machines, and will never prescribe them for a client (...other than a rehabbing one) Talk to the trainers who have been training for decades and have tons of money, testamonials, fat loss success with clients, etc. They don't use machines.

Do machines have their place in a gym? Sure. Rehab, new gym goers who don't feel comfortable with weights, the elderly (who aren't confident enought o lift weights) etc.

However, when all is said and done...machines are worthless for 99% of the population. And trainers who walk about and have their obese clients do a biceps curl machine or a tricep pushdown doesn't know what they are doing.

If a client is healthy, they can use free weights. Plain and simple. Find me any example where machines are proven to be better for a given goal like strength, fat loss, hypertrophy, etc. Won't happen. You can control tempo as well with machines (tempo...does any trainer know what that is?) you can't really superset/circuit train effectively with them (supersetting and circuits...proven time and time and time again to be the best possible workout for strength, hypertrophy and fat loss for the average client)

Carry on.
Oh, the ENTIRE cable setup, (pulldowns, cable flies, tricep pushdowns, etc.)

That's a machine. Or the MACHINE equivalents to these exercises. If you honestly are telling me that no bodybuilder/athlete should NOT use say any hammerstrength line of equipment...


what about leg press?

what about calf raises?

what about leg curls?

knee extensions?

[NDame616]

Ridiculous.


If you knew anything about how hypertrophy works, it's LOAD, not freeweights.


If you can honestly say a cable row does not have it's place in a back workout, I will personally find out where you work and tell your boss you're retarded.

Cable rows aren't machines, in my mind. Machines are designed to keep their users on a single plane, using one point of rotation, neglecting stabalizing muscles, etc. Back workout? Aside from a bodybuilder, all you need for back for hypertrophy is a bent over row (you can use free weights, barbell, single hand, alternating hand, etc. But I wouldn't use the machine) deads, lat pull downs and pull ups.

Go ahead, tell me I'm retarded. Tell me I'm ridicilous. And if you honestly tell me that a rowing machine (...not cable...) is better/more functional than free weights for hypertrophy....then you don't deserve to be a trainer.

And hypertrophy is about load and nothing else? Do you know the difference between strength and hypertrophy? There's a lot more to hypertrophy than the load, just to let you know.

[NDame616]

what about leg press?

what about calf raises?

what about leg curls?

knee extensions?

Leg press? Calf raises? Leg curls? Knee extensions?

...you're kidding, right? Those exercises are dangerous and worthless to the average client (remember, we are talking about personal trainers here....not drug abusing bodybuilders) The average client is a middle aged woman looking for fat loss. If you're throwing them on the leg press, calf raises, knee extensions and curls...then you aren't a good trainer concerned with the human body and the science behind workouts and why you do them.

Have them do squats (split squats, ball squats, etc) for quad dominant...also front squats are very good...and lunging exercise for hip/hammy dominant exercises.

This argument is getting to be insane, and showing me what types of trainers are here.

Why the hell would an average client need a leg extension or curl? Why would any athlete? You give me one time any athlete/housewife/CEO, etc needs their quads or hamstring to be isolated to be strengthened in their day to day life, or whatever sport they are playing.

You're talking about workouts designed in the 80s or earlier.

[NDame616]

Nick, what certification do you have?

[SheWulf]

I think it's good to introduce a client to machines to get them used to the feel for certain exercises and have them comfortable enough to come in and do their own routine. (I have a few clients who i only work with 1-2x a week for guidance)
But i usually like to introduce them to freeweights, and compare a freeweight exercise with a machine they may have used so they become familiar with what the exercise is working and the motion etc.
Personally i like to have my clients work with freeweights. I think it's more beneficial, more challenging, and more fun for the client and myself!

[John Prophet]

Why the hell would an average client need a leg extension or curl? Why would any athlete? You give me one time any athlete/housewife/CEO, etc needs their quads or hamstring to be isolated to be strengthened in their day to day life, or whatever sport they are playing.



Leg extension? sure...VMO isolation. MANY women need to build up the VMO (teardrop). Due to their wide hips giving them a sharper bone angle into the knee and the general weakness of women in the teardrop, they have a much higher tendency to blow ACL's.

and again, im a freeweight guy thru and thru....but you cant honestly tell me that ALL middleaged women or men are going to do freeweight squats. for some of them it would take months to work up to even being able to squat the bar correctly. some of them arent nearly flexible enough to even reach up and hold the bar

of course, id take just about ANY client and have them do squats to a bench or combination sit up/squats down to a low incline bench, or step ups. Ive had many of them do bulgarian split squats.

I feel there is a point where one is just trying to prove some silly macho thing by having EVERY client do something like freeweight squats.

[NDame616]

Leg extension? sure...VMO isolation. MANY women need to build up the VMO (teardrop). Due to their wide hips giving them a sharper bone angle into the knee and the general weakness of women in the teardrop, they have a much higher tendency to blow ACL's.

and again, im a freeweight guy thru and thru....but you cant honestly tell me that ALL middleaged women or men are going to do freeweight squats. for some of them it would take months to work up to even being able to squat the bar correctly. some of them arent nearly flexible enough to even reach up and hold the bar

of course, id take just about ANY client and have them do squats to a bench or combination sit up/squats down to a low incline bench, or step ups. Ive had many of them do bulgarian split squats.

I feel there is a point where one is just trying to prove some silly macho thing by having EVERY client do something like freeweight squats.

I can't remember the number, but an insane majority of ACL injuries are non contact (just looked it up...70 percent. Decelleration, and landing from a jump are the main cause of ACL injuries... How is a leg extension helping them? Having them control their body weight in a ball squat is a great progression.

Split squats, bulgarian split squats are much better for the VMO.

And I've trained some huge, huge women. It doesn't take months and months to do a bodyweight squat. A few weeks, a bunch of ball squats, etc will get the job done. And, once again, a clinically obese woman isn't a typical client or a "regular person"

if it takes you months and months to get someone to do a squat, then you need to learn pro and regressions.

And I'm being macho by having my clients do exercises that are proven successful? OK....

[IronBear04]

OK let me rephrase that....

Free weights will always win for any goal over machines...other than rehab.

Free weights are better for strength
Free weights are better for fat loss
Free weights are better for hypertrophy
Free weights are better for speed/explosiveness
Free weights are better for EPOC
Free weights are functional.

I've done scores and scores of readings, attended seminars, and talked to some of the best personal trainers in the world. They have never used machines, and will never prescribe them for a client (...other than a rehabbing one) Talk to the trainers who have been training for decades and have tons of money, testamonials, fat loss success with clients, etc. They don't use machines.

Do machines have their place in a gym? Sure. Rehab, new gym goers who don't feel comfortable with weights, the elderly (who aren't confident enought o lift weights) etc.

However, when all is said and done...machines are worthless for 99% of the population. And trainers who walk about and have their obese clients do a biceps curl machine or a tricep pushdown doesn't know what they are doing.

If a client is healthy, they can use free weights. Plain and simple. Find me any example where machines are proven to be better for a given goal like strength, fat loss, hypertrophy, etc. Won't happen. You can control tempo as well with machines (tempo...does any trainer know what that is?) you can't really superset/circuit train effectively with them (supersetting and circuits...proven time and time and time again to be the best possible workout for strength, hypertrophy and fat loss for the average client)

Carry on.

I have used hammer strength shoulder press machine to help me achieve my goals (just one example)... and considering I can press 360 lbs over my head with that thing for a solid 4 reps (this was when I was shoulder pressing the 95 lbs dbs) I think perhaps its time you rethought your whole philosophy about any kind of machines. Like my man screamin said, tool in the bag son.

[John Prophet]

I can't remember the number, but an insane majority of ACL injuries are non contact (just looked it up...70 percent. Decelleration, and landing from a jump are the main cause of ACL injuries... How is a leg extension helping them? Having them control their body weight in a ball squat is a great progression.

Split squats, bulgarian split squats are much better for the VMO.

And I've trained some huge, huge women. It doesn't take months and months to do a bodyweight squat. A few weeks, a bunch of ball squats, etc will get the job done. And, once again, a clinically obese woman isn't a typical client or a "regular person"

if it takes you months and months to get someone to do a squat, then you need to learn pro and regressions.

And I'm being macho by having my clients do exercises that are proven successful? OK....


I said a FREEweight squat...not a bodyweight squat. Freeweights as in barbell up on the back squat

feel free to post up a video of some of your obese middleaged women rocking the barbell squats

until then, why not chill on the insults to other trainers?

of all forums, THIS one should at least have some professional courtesies.

[nickmanzoni]

Leg press? Calf raises? Leg curls? Knee extensions?

...you're kidding, right? Those exercises are dangerous and worthless to the average client (remember, we are talking about personal trainers here....not drug abusing bodybuilders) The average client is a middle aged woman looking for fat loss. If you're throwing them on the leg press, calf raises, knee extensions and curls...then you aren't a good trainer concerned with the human body and the science behind workouts and why you do them.

Have them do squats (split squats, ball squats, etc) for quad dominant...also front squats are very good...and lunging exercise for hip/hammy dominant exercises.

This argument is getting to be insane, and showing me what types of trainers are here.

Why the hell would an average client need a leg extension or curl? Why would any athlete? You give me one time any athlete/housewife/CEO, etc needs their quads or hamstring to be isolated to be strengthened in their day to day life, or whatever sport they are playing.

You're talking about workouts designed in the 80s or earlier.
ABSURDITY!


You're not going to have a average client go straight to a split squat! It takes time to build strength and balance that even a healthy client won't have instantly.

You're not going to have an obese woman doing any kind of PROPER lunge for the first few MONTHS! The strain on the knee joint would be immense!
And dude, I have MALE clients of moderate age (30's-40's) I have 20 year olds of both genders, and machines have their place in all of their workouts.

[Commonpremier21]

Why is anyone who claims to be a "good" trainer using a machine in the first place? Machines are for people who don't know what they are doing (other than rehabbers....) true lifters/fat loss clients use free weights and bodyweight.

Machines are a waste of time and could be dangerous. So, I just find myself a 5 foot by three foot area, and me and my client are good to go!

machines can be useful dealing with extremely de-conditioned clients who lack any sort of mind to muscle connection to be able to perform DB and barbell exercises correctly and safely. Using machines to help them make the connection between the movements performed and the primary movers of that particular movement is very useful in the beginning stages of a strength training program. I also find that progress is made very quickly on machines, and it's a huge confidence booster for these de-conditioned clients, thus increasing the level of adherence

but yeah, you give me any average guy looking to bulk up or a slightly out of shape middle aged person looking to lose some weight/get trim, they'll be busting their butt with the DBs and BBs in no time for sure.

[Spiceygamble]

Well it started out as a decent topic...
*sigh... I was always taught form first, power later...

...and to get back on topic....
No pissing contests over equipment.
I know everyone is trying to achieve their own goals while working out(and the egos in the gym could choke a horse) but common curtsies alone would keep quite a few people on the membership list. I can't even count how many times I've heard complaints about rude gym behavior... and the person ends up leaving that gym.




..so how do I win the lottery so I can open my OWN gym(with lots of machines)?
*evil grin...

[Deadhead94]

Free weights most of the time for sure.

Machines are very useful though simply for exercising the muscle, i.e. leg press machine.

It is better to have the client learn to do basic free weight exercises like squats and rows. After doing squats and rows for example, I will sometimes end with a leg press machine or row machine, simply to target the muscle and use energy, or calories.

[NDame616]

I'll end my imput intot his thread with the following:

You find the top 10 trainers, based on successful results, business growth, etc. And ask them about machine use. I guarantee you that 8 of the 10 would never use machines unless there's extreme cases.

I've studied Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Craig Bellentyme (I always spell his name wrong...) and they are widely regarded as the best sport coaches (Boyle and Cosgrove to a lesser extent) and fat loss coaches/business ownerts (Cosgrove and Craig) and none of them would ever...EVER have their client base use a machine unless it was an extreme case.

[nickmanzoni]

And I'm assuming that these coaches are all teaching the "average client" you profess to have 100% grasp on. You know "The average client is a middle aged woman looking for fat loss".

And I would dare say that you have no official guidelines as to what creates a "successful" trainer. Furthermore, I will also say that I feel most certain you can't possibly know every client they train and to what routine they put their clients through.

[NDame616]

And I'm assuming that these coaches are all teaching the "average client" you profess to have 100% grasp on. You know "The average client is a middle aged woman looking for fat loss".

And I would dare say that you have no official guidelines as to what creates a "successful" trainer. Furthermore, I will also say that I feel most certain you can't possibly know every client they train and to what routine they put their clients through.

No, but I have talked to them, bought their products, reviewed their work, read their blogs, etc enough to know who they train (they're told me what their average client is!) and be comfortable enough with generalizing to that extent.

And I think I can make assumptions about these men being very successful trainers, since their training and techniques have made them millions of dollars and the owners of their own businesses (successful businesses...)

I think Alwyn said he reviews, created and oversees 30,000 programs a year through all the trainers that work at his gym and he trains himself. I'd call him an expert and a good trainer.

[nickmanzoni]

No, but I have talked to them, bought their products, reviewed their work, read their blogs, etc enough to know who they train (they're told me what their average client is!) and be comfortable enough with generalizing to that extent.

And I think I can make assumptions about these men being very successful trainers, since their training and techniques have made them millions of dollars and the owners of their own businesses (successful businesses...)

I think Alwyn said he reviews, created and oversees 30,000 programs a year through all the trainers that work at his gym and he trains himself. I'd call him an expert and a good trainer.
SO?

[Colin8]

Haha, it didn't take long for this thread to get way off topic

[Simmo0508]

There is no "better" or "best" piece of equipment, or ways to train in the first place. Each person has their own quirks and needs to go by their own feel for things.

If you're workin with a client who's startin out and who's a beginner to exercise in general, machines are great imo because they build up the confidence level of those who haven't got that mind body connection goin on. As for us trainers, it's often a good way to test people's endurance levels and strength in general. You get a gauge of where they're at. But most of all, it's safe. Yes, free weights are safe too given everything's quite light and we're there to spot them, but in a client's mind (it's their workout and body we're taking care of afterall) the free weights at an early stage often look very daunting.

If you stick a poor little old lady under a squat rack and expect her to squat the bar, she'll struggle to even get it off in the first place for instance. Same goes for say a standard bench press. Those olympic bars aren't exactly light for most people. Plus they're quite thick.

So the idea is (for me anyway and how i do things with my clients) to build up their strength a bit and get a bit of confidence goin with weights in general. Allow them to build up each muscle group to a point where they've got a starting base with the harder, more taxing movements, that require overall stabilisation. Somewhere to work from.

You can still get a great workout regardless. You don't neccessarily always need freeweights 100% of the time. Get the most out of all of the things available. No need to play favourites.


NDame616, be more respectful to others on here mate. There's a lot of different trainers with different styles and opinions on different matters. Try to be a little bit more tolerant perhaps that's all. We're all here to share ideas and learn off each other.

[Spiceygamble]

There is no "better" or "best" piece of equipment, or ways to train in the first place. Each person has their own quirks and needs to go by their own feel for things.

If you're working with a client who's starting out and who's a beginner to exercise in general, machines are great imo because they build up the confidence level of those who haven't got that mind body connection going on. As for us trainers, it's often a good way to test people's endurance levels and strength in general. You get a gauge of where they're at. But most of all, it's safe. Yes, free weights are safe too given every thing's quite light and we're there to spot them, but in a client's mind (it's their workout and body we're taking care of after all) the free weights at an early stage often look very daunting.

If you stick a poor little old lady under a squat rack and expect her to squat the bar, she'll struggle to even get it off in the first place for instance. Same goes for say a standard bench press. Those Olympic bars aren't exactly light for most people. Plus they're quite thick.

So the idea is (for me anyway and how i do things with my clients) to build up their strength a bit and get a bit of confidence going with weights in general. Allow them to build up each muscle group to a point where they've got a starting base with the harder, more taxing movements, that require overall stabilization. Somewhere to work from.

You can still get a great workout regardless. You don't necessarily always need free weights 100% of the time. Get the most out of all of the things available. No need to play favorites.


NDame616, be more respectful to others on here mate. There's a lot of different trainers with different styles and opinions on different matters. Try to be a little bit more tolerant perhaps that's all. We're all here to share ideas and learn off each other.

HELLOooo... thank you!

*geesh... how many different ways can we say this?
Repps