ear bud use during training

[2little2late]

Hi-I just started working with a male trainer about 5 weeks ago. Most of the time the conversation is minimal and I notice he texts during the training session. One day I decided to put one ear bud in to keep motivated and he called me unprofessional, and told menot to use them again. Excuse me, but I pay him, don't I? and if he isn't motivational enough shouldn't I be able to use them on occasion? Especially if he is double booking clients, texting, taking phone calls and not talking during our sessions? anyone on this?

I fired him, and moved on to another trainer who designed an upper body program with names of machines and number of reps, but no weight associated with it. When I asked, he said, "just do what you can" Since when is this a training routine? and doesn't this put the trainer at a certain liability for injuries, etc?

thanks all.

[joshuasikorski]

Trainers texting during sessions, and showing no motivation at all shouldn't be allowed in gyms at all...

as for the new trainer, he can't really set a weight, if he were to say for example, do 45lb on this machine, and that turns out to be too light, or too heavy, then you'll just end up adjusting to what you can do anyways, he has no way of knowing what you're capable of. He just means don't go putting excessive weight on, but do whats possible for you.

[2little2late]

Trainers texting during sessions, and showing no motivation at all shouldn't be allowed in gyms at all...

as for the new trainer, he can't really set a weight, if he were to say for example, do 45lb on this machine, and that turns out to be too light, or too heavy, then you'll just end up adjusting to what you can do anyways, he has no way of knowing what you're capable of. He just means don't go putting excessive weight on, but do whats possible for you.

thanks for your reply--saw your location--I'm in Ohio as well....I have it with setting the weights, but he has worked with me a few times already. My bigger concern is that these guys work with older people who could injure themselves without better guidance.

great tats goodluck with your own workout.

[2little2late]

Hi-I just started working with a male trainer about 5 weeks ago. Most of the time the conversation is minimal and I notice he texts and takes phone calls during the training session. One day I decided to put one ear bud in to keep motivated and he called me unprofessional, and told me not to use them again. Excuse me, but I pay him, don't I? and if he isn't motivational enough shouldn't I be able to use them on occasion? Especially if he is double booking clients, texting, taking phone calls and not talking during our sessions? anyone on this? Oh, and I forgot about my trainer telling me that he was arrested for possessing marijuana in his car--and his obvious use of steroids--gee, is THAT professional?

I fired him, and moved on to another trainer who designed an upper body program with names of machines and number of reps, but no weight suggestions associated with it. When I asked, he said, "just do what you can" Since when is this a training routine? and doesn't this put the trainer at a certain liability for injuries, etc?

thanks all.

frustrated....

[nsiegel5]

I would say the first guy was pretty unprofessional and probably just another ego trainer type
The second guy sounds like he put a plan together but is not your trainer. It takes some time to learn what a person is capable of and how much weight reps etc they can do. A proper program can be based of your 1 rep max and % of that ie 70% 80% 90% etc.
Maybe once the second guy gets a chance to start training you, you can figure out exactly what you should be lifting.

[Keltron]

First guy is unprofessional. I don't even open my phone to read a text while I'm working w/someone.. UNLESS it's during a rest break... and I will always say, "hey Im just gonna reply to this text while youre resting."

[greesemuunkie]

Don't you take a fitness test when you meet a new trainer so they can see your level? I always have... IDK.

[CookAndrewB]

I fired him, and moved on to another trainer who designed an upper body program with names of machines and number of reps, but no weight associated with it. When I asked, he said, "just do what you can" Since when is this a training routine? and doesn't this put the trainer at a certain liability for injuries, etc?

thanks all.

Fire that one too. Machines? I mean, unless you are an 85 year old arthritic with poor balance... no, just no. Bodyweight or light starting weights, teach progressions... SOMETHING useful. Telling someone to do what they can is useless. People almost always fail on doing too much weight (guys) or far too little (gals). I doubt anyone, given free will, will go all Goldilocks on you and pick the "just right" starting point.

The problem is probably your gym. I'll wager that your "trainers" are relatively good looking guys, but not certified in any meaningful sort of way. Sex sells, smart trainers cost money and don't stick around in BS gyms.

[jeffsmith2]

You can't do a 1RM test with a beginner. They aren't capable of achieving a true 1RM due to deconditioning. Just ease people in with weight or reps they can handle. Start low to learn form and ask them how difficult it was as you progress. Eventually you will see them struggling with reps at a certain weight or they'll say it was "very hard" or something to complete the set and you'll be able to get work sets from that.

Your trainer should ask to do some sort of fitness test at the beginning, though it is up to you if you want to do it. Even something like maximal push-ups or crunches give a measure of fitness that can be compared to population norms.

[CookAndrewB]

You can't do a 1RM test with a beginner. They aren't capable of achieving a true 1RM due to deconditioning. Just ease people in with weight or reps they can handle. Start low to learn form and ask them how difficult it was as you progress. Eventually you will see them struggling with reps at a certain weight or they'll say it was "very hard" or something to complete the set and you'll be able to get work sets from that.

Your trainer should ask to do some sort of fitness test at the beginning, though it is up to you if you want to do it. Even something like maximal push-ups or crunches give a measure of fitness that can be compared to population norms.

Why can't you do a 1RM test with a beginner? What is a "true 1RM?"

I think a lot of what you can/will/should do with a client depends on their goals. The way you might address a client with sports performance goals will be very different than a client who needs to lose weight, or an elderly client who is looking to regain some lost motor function.

[jeffsmith2]

For any beginner you can't get a true 1RM because they are deconditioned from inactivity. You need to build up their motor pathways so that they can generate appropriate force. That's why you see a lot of gains for beginners in the first bit of training because their muscles neurally adjust to weight training. They learn to recruit motor units more efficiently. Then it slows down as the gains become less neural and more related to myofibral or sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

I'm just saying, it's retarded to take a beginner client and try to get them to do a 1RM test and expect it to go well. Obviously if they're coming to you from an extended exercise or sport background that is different.

I'd say just throwing someone on machines is pretty awful and on the other end of the failure spectrum. There needs to be structure and reason for each choice of exercise.

[HalcyonDays]

Ditch him. Personal training is NOT CHEAP. If you are paying him your honest, hard earned money then you deserve his full attention. Anyone who doesn't understand that is unprofessional. There are plenty of good trainers out there who are hungry for new clients and ready to give you 100%.

[2020Wellness]

First guy is unprofessional. I don't even open my phone to read a text while I'm working w/someone.. UNLESS it's during a rest break... and I will always say, "hey Im just gonna reply to this text while youre resting."

You can't be serious?! Why would you even have your phone on your body during a session? What is more important during the session than the client?

[xigotmailx]

The only problem I can see being an aspiring personal trainer, which also could be me in general is that all the information that a CPT has to give you is all available mostly online and you can just ask around for this information. I have never had a trainer, i've created 2 programs for myself based of of the simplest of principles for weight training. A personal trainer is there for these people who do not want to look for these answers is what I can tell.

Reason I'm saying this is because, I am not a personal trainer, could answer all of your questions on how unprofessional these people you are paying are being, as well as create a program for you to follow and help you at least figure out your starting weights and how to progress from week to week or even day to day.

Now that right there is why I want to be a personal trainer.

[bonacris]

The only problem I can see being an aspiring personal trainer, which also could be me in general is that all the information that a CPT has to give you is all available mostly online and you can just ask around for this information. I have never had a trainer, i've created 2 programs for myself based of of the simplest of principles for weight training. A personal trainer is there for these people who do not want to look for these answers is what I can tell.

Reason I'm saying this is because, I am not a personal trainer, could answer all of your questions on how unprofessional these people you are paying are being, as well as create a program for you to follow and help you at least figure out your starting weights and how to progress from week to week or even day to day.

Now that right there is why I want to be a personal trainer.

some people lack the motivation to go the gym on their own. even if they do go they lack intensity and a strict regime. plus there is a lot of conflicting evidence on the internet eg one programme might want you to squat ATG while another might not include squats at all. its hard for a person who is new to a gym to decide what is right. a trainer can clear up a lot of this confusion.

[haysuess]

First trainer = Douchebag
Second trailer = Doesn't sound much better.

A trainer that is serious about working with you should do some strength testing to get your 1RM or 3RM and at least give you SOME kind of weight to start with. Then you can adjust it up or down slightly if necessary.

[CoryGunz]

The only problem I can see being an aspiring personal trainer, which also could be me in general is that all the information that a CPT has to give you is all available mostly online and you can just ask around for this information. I have never had a trainer, i've created 2 programs for myself based of of the simplest of principles for weight training. A personal trainer is there for these people who do not want to look for these answers is what I can tell.

Reason I'm saying this is because, I am not a personal trainer, could answer all of your questions on how unprofessional these people you are paying are being, as well as create a program for you to follow and help you at least figure out your starting weights and how to progress from week to week or even day to day.

Now that right there is why I want to be a personal trainer.

You can find recipes online right? But people still go to restaurants. Convenience plays a factor, as well as (hopefully) getting a knowledgeable trainer who can adapt to certain situations.

Being educated at a school > reading stuff online.

Training yourself is more times than not vastly different than training clients.

Those trainers sound awful, second being a tad bit better. Find a better trainer or at least someone who wants you to do better.

[KyleAaron]

xigotmailx, hire a competent PT sometime and you'll see why they're useful. Not useful to everyone, but to some.

There are two different jobs in the gym. The gym instructor writes routines, shows people through them, and revises their routines every month or two - but the person does their actual workouts on their own. The personal trainer supervises each training session.

The person who has a gym instructor can slack off, have sloppy technique, fail to progress the resistance when physically capable of doing so, and even just not show up and nobody will know or care. As well, if they have an injury or simply want something different to do today, they'll be at a loss, in practice most people will just not do the work that day.

The person with a PT won't be able to slack off, most of the reps will have to be good, they will progress the resistance when physically capable of doing so, and if they don't show up, they'll be charged for the session anyway, which is usually a strong incentive to show up. With injuries or desire for variety, their PT will be able to come up with different exercises for them so they still get an effective workout.

Obviously, the person with a PT will be able to do more technically difficult exercises, and progress the resistance more quickly, than the person with a routine given them by a gym instructor.

Another factor is goals. Most people enter the gym saying, "I want to get fit, lose weight, tone up." But when are you "fit"? What does that mean? How much weight? And is it really weight or just fat you want to lose? What does "toning" mean? A gym instructor won't worry about this, since if you just do a basic routine you'll improve in all aspects of fitness anyway. A PT will try to help you get more concrete goals - and the more solid the goals, the more likely the person is to achieve them; the "get fit, lose weight, tone up" crowd generally achieve nothing.

You're viewing a PT as nothing more than a gym instructor who hangs around keeping the client company while they do their own workout. If you'd ever hired a PT, you'd realise the difference.

[GeneralSerpant]

You're viewing a PT as nothing more than a gym instructor who hangs around keeping the client company while they do their own workout. If you'd ever hired a PT, you'd realise the difference.

I kind of agree with this over what other people were saying..

Plus, I wouldn't blast the Lady Gaga on your earbuds, maybe that was what set him off.

[xigotmailx]

Thank you so much for clearing that up for me. That is about the most definite answer that i've seen lurking around this forum as well as internet web search. I suppose that is where a CPT comes in. You can not find such information just on the web. Much better understood now.

[KyleAaron]

Well, in principle you can find any information you want to online.

BUT -

1. do you know the questions to ask? You need a certain amount of knowledge just to know where to start, and
2. do you want to have to do an online search, taking hours to sift through pages and pages of information, just for one little point which a PT on the spot at the time could deal with instantly? and
3. are you going to remember everything you've learned when you're under the iron? or maybe you'll be so focused on getting the damn weight up that your form will become rough?

All the world's top athletes have coaches. Not sure why any of us would think we're more naturally talented and well-educated than the world's top athletes.

I mean, not everyone needs a coach or trainer. But it helps. 97% of people going to gyms never hire a trainer. Look around the gym, what results have those 97% got?

[Jacobs64]

If I were you I'd find out the information for yourself and start implementing it and training hard with your music in. I did a gym instructor course and 90% of the people still had no idea how to train after 6 months of tuition. I think the bad to good trainer ratio in the fitness industry is very largely on the bad side with the few exceptional people who work hard at their job.