another question for the ladies....(sorry, this one is noncontroversial, lol)

[John Prophet]

this may seem silly, but at least it shouldnt be flame war material, lol


I trained my first client tonight....another guy....took his measurements etc

so, uhmm....what is the preferred protocol etc for a guy taking a womans measurements?? problem being...you cant really take much of a chest measurement with a shirt/bra on....at least I wouldnt think so....so I guess we are talking sport bra for that? or, what?

other issue being the thighs.....on myself and on the guy I just measured the biggest part....which for me and for him is right up close to the crotch, lol......so whats the best way to get the thigh measurement without making her feel uncomfortable etc?

how many of you have been measured by a guy? how did it go etc the first time?

or, where else would you measure a thigh, lol....if you dont measure the biggest part how on Earth would you get a consistent measurement?


we have a "trainer room" where trainers keep their gym bags and food etc.....so that is where id be taking the womens measurements


so what is the proper protocol for this? (pretend I have never taken a womans measurements before, lol)


thanks, JP

[bluescorpion]

It's kind if like going to the gynecologist... we don't want you to be all "heheh I'm trying not to touch your boobies". Either just do it, but in a very non-sexual, "normal" way... or ask the woman to hold it in place in the front and take the measurement in the back. Unless you are really measuring something else during the thigh assessments, just have her do a wider stance and pull the tape up to the top. Whatever you do, don't act awkward, embarrassed, or like you are doing something dirty. Just be professional and if someone appears to have an issue with it, then ask them to help you measure them.

[Sable_Strenua]

bluescorpion is absolutely right. Be cordial and very professional - the more awkward and embarassed you behave, the more uncomfortable your female client will be. If you anticipate being too nervous to do the task of taping your female clients, have them hold the tape measure OR have a female colleague do the taping for you.

[speedster00]

I used to make custom clothes. I've measured a few women and in a professional eviroment, they dont tend to mind. Just dont act immature.

[moskalski]

I agree. There's sexual touching and there's non-sexual touching. Context-dependent. Also, you might want to leave the door open, if you feel uncomfortable about measuring a woman alone.

[joed]

IMO always have a woman staff member with you in a private area while you are measuring a client. You want no intrusions but you also want no misunderstandings.

[Shoshona]

I've had guys measure me. I think much depends on the one measuring and the one being measured. When it came time to measure across my chest, I was asked to pull it straight across my nipples. We had a bit of a giggle and moved on. But, I have a sense of humour and I'm not real modest.

If a woman is modest and a man is measuring her, it would behoove him to have another woman in there to assist.

[stellar]

You're a trainer and you dont know how to take measurements?

Well, tell them to wear their workout gear, ask them if you can touch them, then measure in the same spot all the time. For thighs, i would choose the widest spot, or measure a certain number of inches from the joint.

[John Prophet]

Originally Posted by stellar

You're a trainer and you dont know how to take measurements?

lol...comments like that are what ruins a forum..people being punks..whether male or female...sayign things theyd never say to a persons face, lol

I have posted a few thousand posts on here now..99% of which are me helping people out....on the rare occasion that I myself need help it figures Id pull a few twits out of the woodwork....cest la vie

I guess guys should think twice before bothering to ask females anything...because from what I see theres too many folks in this forum just looking for some reason to tee off on a guy

I know ill just keep it to myself from now on, lol...not worth it

[joed]

OK, out of 7 replies to your question you respond to the one that pushed your angry button. Any thoughts about the other 6 of us who gave you a straight answer or were you looking for someone to shove you?

[John Prophet]

yes, I appreciate the straight answers, lol

[DonMegaR]

Originally Posted by John Prophet

this may seem silly, but at least it shouldnt be flame war material, lol


I trained my first client tonight....another guy....took his measurements etc

so, uhmm....what is the preferred protocol etc for a guy taking a womans measurements?? problem being...you cant really take much of a chest measurement with a shirt/bra on....at least I wouldnt think so....so I guess we are talking sport bra for that? or, what?

other issue being the thighs.....on myself and on the guy I just measured the biggest part....which for me and for him is right up close to the crotch, lol......so whats the best way to get the thigh measurement without making her feel uncomfortable etc?

how many of you have been measured by a guy? how did it go etc the first time?

or, where else would you measure a thigh, lol....if you dont measure the biggest part how on Earth would you get a consistent measurement?


we have a "trainer room" where trainers keep their gym bags and food etc.....so that is where id be taking the womens measurements


so what is the proper protocol for this? (pretend I have never taken a womans measurements before, lol)


thanks, JP

i would hope you had an ethics class in college before being hired as a trainer? lol and if your measuring her chest wouldnt the most apropriate way be to take the measurement from her back side?

[Outdoor Girl]

I can become a bit more uncomfortable around guys for this sort of thing, so a few words of advice, FWIW.

Of course, approach it professionally. Based on the fact you're asking here, sounds like that's exactly what you're trying to do.

Work within people's comfort zones. I would probably let a guy measure me if he was telling me what he was doing up front.

If you can practice on a female friend, get the technique down so you're adept at doing it. Maybe learn a way to instruct the woman you're measuring place the tape across her chest while you measure from the back if you find you have someone that appears quite uncomfortable.

[TurbulentFluid]

Originally Posted by John Prophet

lol...comments like that are what ruins a forum..people being punks..whether male or female...sayign things theyd never say to a persons face, lol

I have posted a few thousand posts on here now..99% of which are me helping people out....on the rare occasion that I myself need help it figures Id pull a few twits out of the woodwork....cest la vie

I guess guys should think twice before bothering to ask females anything...because from what I see theres too many folks in this forum just looking for some reason to tee off on a guy

I know ill just keep it to myself from now on, lol...not worth it

That's right and you better believe it! Women hate men, didn't you know that!? We're actually all into our studies of producing artificial sperm from our own buttock tissue and fertilizing ourselves so we can finally get rid of you useless abominations!!!! The luckiest part being, we can produce only artificial X chromosomes so we can't fertilize ourselves and give birth to a male child even by ACCIDENT!!! Actually, I'm going to my lab right now, when I finish typing this!!! RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!



Anyway... I agree with all other women here, just be professional and don't act immature, and you'll be fine. One can usually tell modest and embarrased people from more free-thinking ones, so if your client seems to be the first sort, be sure to explain everything you have to do, and why.
Chest you should always measure from the back, because you'll make more of a meausring mistake if you do it from the front, specially if she has bigger cup size.
By what I noticed, female thighs tend to be very differently built so be sure to measure at the widest spot, it's not always the one closest to the crotch as it is with men...

Now let me ask you a question; if I want to follow my pec development by measuring my chest, how should I do it? If I include the breasts into the measurement, isn't it too variable on bf%..? Just curious... Should I measure above?

[stellar]

Originally Posted by John Prophet

lol...comments like that are what ruins a forum..people being punks..whether male or female...sayign things theyd never say to a persons face, lol

I have posted a few thousand posts on here now..99% of which are me helping people out....on the rare occasion that I myself need help it figures Id pull a few twits out of the woodwork....cest la vie

I guess guys should think twice before bothering to ask females anything...because from what I see theres too many folks in this forum just looking for some reason to tee off on a guy

I know ill just keep it to myself from now on, lol...not worth it

Excuse me? You failed to notice that i also gave you some useful advice about how to measure your clients. And by the way, i am not a trainer.

[Andrew.Cook]

Originally Posted by DonMegaR

i would hope you had an ethics class in college before being hired as a trainer? lol and if your measuring her chest wouldnt the most apropriate way be to take the measurement from her back side?

An ethics class so you can be a trainer? lol... I'd be happy if most trainers attended community college even, let alone a class on ethics.

Oh, and silly silly John. You thought you could ask a question ANYWHERE on BB.com and not have it become a polarized discussion? C'mon now, you've been here too long to be wearing those rose colored glasses

But since nobody else will say it, I'm just going to get it over with:

JOHN IS A PERVERT LOOKING TO TOUCH THE NAUGHTY BITS OF HIS CLIENTS! ... or more likely he was trying to be sensitive to the needs of any potential female clients that he might have in the future. Either way I say we burn him at the stake!

[Sable_Strenua]

^^^burned at the stake? tough crowd ha ha

is it just me or is JohnProphet turning out to be more of a drama queen (king)?

I mean really, getting mad and flaming us in that one post when the majority of the responders posted solid, decent advice.

[bluescorpion]

Originally Posted by ladymystique80

^^^burned at the stake? tough crowd ha ha

is it just me or is JohnProphet turning out to be more of a drama queen (king)?

I mean really, getting mad and flaming us in that one post when the majority of the responders posted solid, decent advice.

I've spent time and thought responding to several of them. Will make me think twice in the future.

[annieree]

Take the measurement for the chest from the side, under the armpit, so you can see the tape going across the chest but there is no touching.

[John Prophet]

Originally Posted by ladymystique80

^^^burned at the stake? tough crowd ha ha

is it just me or is JohnProphet turning out to be more of a drama queen (king)?

I mean really, getting mad and flaming us in that one post when the majority of the responders posted solid, decent advice.

easy way to fix that, lol...each forum needs to police itself..when someone posts some attitude for no reason others IN THE FORUM (regulars) ought to speak up against it

afaik with almost 2500 posts there hasnt been THAT much drama except in the fem forum, lol

as bluescorpion said....I will think twice next time...life is too short

I made it clear I was STARTING as a trainer.....came here simply asking for advice to make sure I was following proper protocol.......I cant even remotely see where that deserves some smart alecky answer....but hey, live and learn


seems like guys cant win huh....a guy honestly asks for advice so he WONT make women clients uncomfortable..then a woman bashes him for it, lol......thats pretty rich

[Amris]

You are too sensitive. It's just some random person whom you don't know.

If I let everyone who responded negatively to me hurt my feelings, I'd be a wreck by now.

Don't take it personal, it's the internet. Take what you want, leave the rest. If you want the feedback, learn to let the negative roll off your back. You should learn this valuable capability anyway, it will help you in your personal and your professional life, not only on internet forums.

Consider the opinion, but only allow it to "sink in" if it genuinely has merit.

If you were not taught how to handle these delicate situations in your classes, then the accusation has no merit, so why let it bother you? Have you recieved what you wanted? Then be content with that, and dismiss the useless.

People try to insult me all the time with things like, "you're OLD" or "you have no life" or whatnot. There isn't enough truth in these silly accusations to upset me. 34 is hardly old, and I am very happy with my life. Why would I let someone's opinion who is utterly and completely clueless about life, reality, and my life in particular bother me? Why would you?

[pgb2006]

Originally Posted by John Prophet

easy way to fix that, lol...each forum needs to police itself..when someone posts some attitude for no reason others IN THE FORUM (regulars) ought to speak up against it

This would cause a lot of confusion like there isn`t enough already. Talk about controversial subjects!!! You are expecting strangers who don`t know you to treat you like you are their best friends and getting angry if they don`t. I understand real insults but some things you have let it go. If you have a life already then things on here can easily take the back seat.

Getting good advise is not going to happen overnight especially if you get mad a lot like everyone has to walk on eggshells and they are afraid to tell you the truth or you get very upset so grow thicker skin right away. It will help you make friends and be a better personal trainer.

[Andrew.Cook]

Somewhat more curious to me is that John is a respected member of many other areas of this website... yet he is put in his place here like a teenage boy. Interesting. I can appreciate what John is saying. The question was an honest one, and having dealt with John many times on here, I have found him to be a very upright e-citizen. He doesn't start trouble, yet the attitude that his question was approached with wasn't hostile from the get go, yet at that 7th posting, it was as if the feeding frenzy was on and suddenly John asked you all to describe your breasts (or something else that would incite the fem population to pick up pointy sticks and scented candles... torches would just never do ).

Any thoughts on the quick turn around? I even find John's responses to be positively good natured, and not directed at the greater population.

[Amris]

Originally Posted by Andrew.Cook

Any thoughts on the quick turn around?

If you want an honest answer, it's because he lumped everyone who responded in with the negative responder. One person is a bit of a punk, and he basically comes off "well, you people are rude," instead of accepting that THAT person's statement could be considered rude.

Rather than, "Thanks for the help" to those who did, he lumped the entire section together and told everyone here off. I'm sorry, but, "Well, men can't ask women anything, I'm just going to keep to myself then!" is a little childish in response to 1 in 7 making a comment he didn't like.

Okay, honey, you take your ball and go home because of one person.


Oh, and yeah, his comments ARE aimed at the general population, as well as the fact that he ignored all the good responses until prompted, then it was a half-assed second-thought kind of "oh, yeah, thx," basically.

[pgb2006]

Read it yourself: I`m still clueless how this got him upset...even more clueless how trying to reason in a logical fashion warrants more defensive action from his friends ?????

{Quote:
Originally Posted by stellar
You're a trainer and you dont know how to take measurements?}


{ Quote:Then John writes this:

lol...comments like that are what ruins a forum..people being punks..whether male or female...sayign things theyd never say to a persons face, lol

I have posted a few thousand posts on here now..99% of which are me helping people out....on the rare occasion that I myself need help it figures Id pull a few twits out of the woodwork....cest la vie

I guess guys should think twice before bothering to ask females anything...because from what I see theres too many folks in this forum just looking for some reason to tee off on a guy

I know ill just keep it to myself from now on, lol...not worth it
__________________}


He read a lot more into what was written. Maybe he doesn`t do that in the other sections. I dunno... He is calling the other members "punks" "twits"and "guys should think twice before bothering to ask females anything"...


At least he did get some good advise. Maybe he needs to PM the people he is upset with rather than rant about it to everyone who has nothing at all against him??? I have nothing against him,honest.

[stellar]

i'm the "rude" and "punk" poster who got JP's pants all tied into a knot and started this whole thing.

Noone seemed to notice that i gave him advice for his problem too, along with all the other people who responded....advice that he didnt even thank anyone for before he started wailing on all of us.

Frankly, i don't think it's rude to point out how odd the original question was. People are paying this guy to "train" them and he looks for advice from random strangers on the internet about how to do his job? I'm sure most of the people who answered, myself included, are not trainers and therefore should actually have less knowledge on the subject than he has. It's strange that a trainer would lack such basic knowledge about how to serve his clients, and it's even stranger that he wouldn't ask one of his peers before turning to a message board.

What's so rude about pointing that out? Actually, i pointed it out in the nicest possible way. I'm clueless about why he should get so upset too.

[Amris]

Well, it's kind of an abrasive statement. In fact, borderline attacking.

If he knew, he wouldn't be asking, obviously. So it's a bit hurtful to point out "how can you not know" as if it makes him stupid that he needs to ask.

And yeah, I'm sorry, but that's how that question comes off. And it wasn't even directed at me.

Not everyone knows all these "obvious" and "common sense" types of things. He had the courtesy to ask rather than try to fumble through it awkwardly.

It's kind of like me saying, "You read on the internet, but you don't realize that things can come off far more harshly than you intend?"

Perhaps if you realized that, you wouldn't have made that comment when it was clear that he DOESN'T know?

[silentassasin]

Have the female client face the wall(back towards you) Instruct them to place the tape measure around the widest part of their chest. take measurement and move on to next bodypart.

[stellar]

Some might think that harsh, others might think it's honest. The fact that i gave my advice after takes the bite off. Either way, he seriously overreacted.

[pgb2006]

Stellar, I think your comment sounded unfriendly and you did have a point there that he better find out quick if he is going to be training and it definitely was not something to have a heart attack over.

..And I think since I`m just a casual observer visiting to read a little it would be easy for me to say.

I`m sorry if I offended anyone.



John, I hope you can still be able to read and use the information that has been offered.

It might be that I have had experiences where a comment like that directed toward me would be meant to get me motivated like a drill sargeant. One time I was told, "You mean you can`t do One push up!!!!! You can only do Girl pushups???" That comment got me going you bet!!!

There are days I even sound like a drill sargeant getting my kids off to school in the morning!!!



And on the topic again:


I remember when I first started working out this male trainer was going to take my measurements. I freaked a little bit and ran and got my friend to come with me. It helped a lot to have another lady in the room and things went fine.

I was asked to bring a bathing suit to put on for my measurements. One or two piece was up to me depending on what I was comfortable with. If in your case they do not want to wear a bathing suit then a regular or sports bra,crop top and spandex shorts or pants (with light weight material shorts over them if your client feels more comfortable that way) is ok but not the best.

On the waist and hip measurement give her the tape and ask her to pull it around and hand it back to you then you take the measurement from the side just like the thigh measurement.