Comments on: Top 10 Ways to Know if your Trainer is Worthless

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:37:26 +0000

According to this, I have a GREAT personal trainer, which is true. She really keeps me on my toes and motivated, staying positive while being realistic. As for Ben, keep it up. I’ve been told if you aren’t feeling sore the day after the work out, you didn’t get worked hard enough. Also, a little trick I’ve learned is after a good strength training session is to do about 30-45 minutes of cardio on the elliptical, etc. For me this keeps my muscles from tightening right away and I feel less pain the next day. Don’t give up!

By: Brett Blumenthal

Brett Blumenthal — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:51:34 +0000

Thanks Karen…excellent points!

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:55:07 +0000

I agree that there is a degree of soreness especially after the first few weeks of exercise. You should gradually be a little less sore though once you’ve been working out for several months. There are a few other factors that should be considered regarding DOMS. (delayed onset of muscle soreness) The first thing besides being new to a fitness program is, are you drinking adequate water? How are your eating habits? Are you getting enough protein and nutrients to your muscles and what is your schedule like? (workout, sleep, eating habits, ect.) These effect your muscle soreness and recovery as well. If the personal trainers you are working with do not take those things into consideration, besides your age, fitness level and physical limitations and disabilities, then you need to look for a better personal trainer.

By: Bally

Bally — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:46:39 +0000

then dont ever , ever get a trainer from ballys they all break these rules!!!

By: Roger

Roger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:00:10 +0000

Number one reason isn’t usually a good trainers fault. Most of the time, the client that doesn’t see results is due to non compliance. They don’t follow their nutrition plan, off day workouts etc.. A personal trainer can only do so much, and spends very limited time with a client.

By: Tired of Lazy People

Tired of Lazy People — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:36:31 +0000

Ben I am interested in learning more about your current physiology (i.e. how huge and out of shape you are), diet (I assume this consists of vast amounts of carbohydrates and fat. I’m going to take a leap of the deep end and assume fruits and vegetables only appear as colorful graphics on the processed food you eat). Also, please elaborate on your life you are seeking to change…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:04:05 +0000

Nate’s probably hasn’t changes in the past 4 years he’s been working out after that comment

By: Becky

Becky — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:48:56 +0000

I have worked with several trainers over the past few years. I had a couple of good ones and a few bad ones as well. The most recent bad one would not listen to me when I expressed concerns. I ended up over trained and out of commission. I also had asked about nutrition advice. He handed me some photocopied pages from a book. Too bad for him that I had read that same book. I realized that he was wasting my time, which was more valuable than the money I spent on the training package. I changed gyms and have found many resources online and in books that really have helped take me to a new level of fitness. Oddly enough, most of the research I have done has contradicted the traner I mentioned above. I have learned over the past few months that unless a person needs motivation, instruction, or is a serious beginner, a person can do the research on his or her own. There are many books, videos, and other resources that can help. Additionally, I have also found that very few trainers are actually qualified to train someone. I would recommend finding an exercise physiologist who has a degree and can help set up a plan for you as opposed to someone who has a mere few hours certification. I hope that helps.

By: Brad

Brad — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:31:40 +0000

Ben,

I’d recommend finding someone else to work out with. I’m NOT saying that a personal trainer is a bad thing, but it might be too early in your workout career for you to maximize their services. Why waste the money? Instead, maybe shanghai a friend into going to the gym with you. Get a little competitive and see who can improve the most. You do, however, have to be sure that you’re lifting/running/plyometricking with that friend instead of chatting. Soreness eventually becomes your friend, but it is a bit intimidating at first. Sounds to me like you need to ease your way into it. Good luck.

By: Darryl

Darryl — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:03:45 +0000

OH, and as for what Delicious said, more than half the people who get a trainer don’t even know how to properly interpret what their body was telling them and I’m positive every single person who’s made a comment has passed the boundaries they thought they had one time or another.

By: Darryl

Darryl — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:14 +0000

OH MY GOD! You’re supposed to be sore Ben! If you really wanted results you wouldn’t be wanting someone to let you “half-ass” it. Suck it up a little would ya?

By: Nardi

Nardi — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:36:43 +0000

Ben, although you are the common denominator in this, it isn’t a one-way street, and you still have a great potential. Self-perception does have something to do with it, in that you have to feel good about yourself first and foremost in order to remain optimistic. That said; I ran into a situation in which I did not see the desired results at first either, after several weeks. I was a complete novice at working out in gyms. So I pulled my trainer aside, reviewed notes from our original meeting, presented my goals in numbers, with target dates and doctor’s suggestions, and proposed solutions. This reminded him that I truly expected and trusted him to deliver his expertise and guidance, while I committed to the sweat. I also slipped a couple of comments into the conversation about how eager I was to see great results, and I wanted to finally have a trainer I could refer to friends and relatives. It is a business for them after all. Appeal to their sense of networking. I felt better about having taken control of a frustrating situation, and it lead to different results.

By: CLAYTON

CLAYTON — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:00:29 +0000

Ben,
Don’t give up what ever you do. I hate to see people give up after a few weeks or even the first month because getting fit isn’t what they expected. It takes time to get in shape. If it was easy, everybody would be fit
Listen, people’s bodies are different. When I started lifting after just 5 months off, I was sore for 5 days also. It gradually went down to 2 days now. It happens. Ask your doctor about it if you haven’t already. It is called Delayed Onset Muscle Sorenes. I usually pop a pain reliever to ease the pain. DOMS can also make sleep difficult.
On to the trainer. I have seen some dumbass trainers in my life time. Most places now require their trainers to have a 4 year degree in phys ed or a related field in addition to a personal trainer certification. Check with you gym. The trainer most likely knows what he/she is doing. I say most likely because I don’t vouch for anyone unless I know them. The trainer should have started you on machines and started you off with light weight that you could easily do for at least 10 repetitions. This is so the trainer can get a base reading of what your workout weight should be. I’m not going to get to technical here but your trainer should figure out what your one rep max is and the make out a program for you depending on what your goals are.
Stay with machines until you are comfortable with the range of motion for the particular lift and then you can move to free weights. Free weights(in my opinion) is where you can workout for less time and get more results. Like I said though, everybody is different. Both free weights and machines have there pros and cons. Again, I am not going to get too technical. The important thing to remember is that there is a three factors to consider when trying to get in shape. your 1) diet(what you eat), 2) strength training and 3) cardio work. One important note, you need to warm up your muscles before excercise. I jump on the treadmill or bike for 10-15 minutes. Also stretch before and after working out. Good luck.

By: James Pascual

James Pascual — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:58:31 +0000

Hi again.
I just wanted to separate myself from someone who shares my first name. Whoever posted the comment (9th) right after mine (8th) was not me. I am neither criticizing nor supporting the 9th comment. I merely want to avoid potential confusion. Thank you.
James
j_makalani@yahoo.com

By: kitty

kitty — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:46:50 +0000

Hi, Ben, my husband did the same thing, and he didn’t step in the GYM since. So Yeee Haaa for you, not to give up.
I think if you would just let the trainer know what you have done which is way too much, they likely will lesser the weight or modity the work out for you. Just don’t feel bad if you can’t do what others are doing right away. you don’t know how long they’ve been working on that, and we are all so different, Right? when I joined my gym I had limitations, because my cancer treament, I have to do a lot less than my team mates, you know, use smaller weight etc., and slowly gain over time. The idea is not to try to impress anyone else, but only yourself. Just be happy the second week (or maybe the third) you can do a little better than the frist. And you will get there.
The begaining week is the hardest, you will and should be sore, but NOT pain! Make sure you do some light work out the next day, don’t just lay down for the week, because if you do that, by the tim the soreness is gone and you come back to the gym, you will start the bad circle all over again, and you will not feel any better. Try to work out 3 times a week, and keep it up, belive of not, your soreness will go away faster if you do some stretching/ light workout and by the 3rd month you will like what you see and how you feel about youself
good luck!

By: Delicious

Delicious — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:56:40 +0000

No matter what a trainer tells you, YOU must pay attention to your own body. Your body will tell you when it is time to stop. Your body will tell you when it is time to advance (go longer, use heavier weights, etc). You pay the trainer so you can also fire the trainer. Make sure up front that the trainer knows who the boss is —You and your body! You only need the trainer to help motivate you, to teach you how to use the correct equipment the correct way. If you have done 25 sit ups and your trainer tells you to do 25 more, but your body says –no I’m tired; listen to your body!!

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:07:35 +0000

I had a personal trainer once who, throughout the entire sessions, would tell me details about other members and women he slept with at the club. Besides the fact that he would go on and on with all of the gossip, he wouldn’t tell me how many reps to do and would forget to count himself. Needless to say, I do better on my own.

By: J

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:39:57 +0000

Soreness isn’t always the best indication of a good workout. I feel sore sometimes after a horrible workout especially if I was already on the verge of overworking my muscles that week. Fatigue can be your brain telling you to slow down and the soreness after a workout is your body telling you that it’s overworked to some degree. A little sore can be good, the muscles are rebuilding, but too much soreness often means that your muscles were too broken down for a single session. If soreness lasts for an extended time, one way to remedy this in the future is to cut the workout in half. If your body can recover then add a little more to the workout (time, intensity, or weight). As your body gets stronger you can slowly keep adding to your workout until the time comes that you have easily adapted to a level you are satisfied with, and then, you can alter your workout to stress your body in other ways and continue to achieve results. You may not always see a change or feel a change, but through proper dietary intake and exercise, changes will occur. Accomplishments that take a long time to achieve are more cherished and last longer in return.

By: James

James — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:56:57 +0000

Ben, Sorry that you have had such a bad experience with your trainers and that some people have left some incredibly insensitive comments here. I think you should look at joining another club where the trainers know what they are doing.If you are that sore and they kept doing the same things then it must be a group mentality type thing.A good gym with good trainers on staff will have a variety of personality types and approaches to work with.Some trainers can be marine like and some can have a ”yoga type approach” There are many ways to train the body and if these ”trainers” don’t know enough to stop making you be in constant pain they are not doing you or themselves a favor.The majority of people stop an exercise program because of soreness and quit.If you stick with it which it sounds like you want to (You were realistic and said that you needed help and support for a year)you will not be as sore as you are right now.But you should not be in such pain that it hurts to bend your elbow.Not for days anyway.Of course you will be sore on some days but stretching and drinking water will do more for you than any fitness supplement.Remember that it is a process and it takes time.The important thing is to do it and your body will adapt and you will see results and will be further motivated to improve.I’m sure you have not found the right trainer yet. I have been training people for over 30 years and I am truly appalled by some of the things I see some trainers doing with their clients. Good luck!

By: James

James — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:12:14 +0000

Hi Ben.
Sorry to hear you’re not getting the results you expected. But what’s more important is the fact that you haven’t given up (way to go!). I’m a certified personal trainer and a nationally certified massage therapist. There are many factors to be considered before I would just give out general advice that may or may not be very helpful. So if you’d like, contact me, and we’ll get to the bottom of your situation and see what can be done about it.
James
j_makalani@yahoo.com

By: Kyra

Kyra — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:39:29 +0000

One of the number one reasons people struggling with a weight problem don’t go to a gym or seek help with a trainer is because of attitudes like Nate’s. Calling a person “fat” and saying that he has a “mental disability” is hurtful and harmful and only further discourages a person from seeking and receiving the help he needs. Let’s all try to remember that no matter what your fitness level, we are all at the gym to try to better ourselves. It takes a lot of courage for an out-of-shape person to walk into a gym, so let’s admire that instead of disparaging it.

By: andreas

andreas — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:34:23 +0000

no offense nate, but if you’re not sore, you’re probably still working out with the same weights you were when you started. constant overload, and soreness is what tears the muscle, allowing it to grow. so if you’re not sore, you’re not growing either, hence why you’re doing the same weights you were doing before, and probably look the same too. 4 years of paying the gym money, and you’ve got nothing to show for it. sad.

By: Brett

Brett — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:52:50 +0000

Nate, I disagree with you. You should still be sore after working out. I train people and the idea is to continue to work out your muscles so that you are always challenging them. If you continue to do the same workout over and over again, you are right, you won’t be sore. But if you are always changing up your exercises, keeping your muscles on their toes, so to speak, you will continue to be sore. Try this…if you are a runner, stop for a few weeks and do something different, like the elliptical trainer. Then run after that three weeks, I guarantee you will be sore. The idea behind training is to change up your workout so that our muscles are always being slightly ’strained’. Otherwise, you won’t get as much out of the workout.

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:03:40 +0000

have you considered the possibility that you may have a mental disability? really. it isnt their fault that you are so out of shape that you over work yourself. you dont need a trainer for motivation, you are most likely fat, so that should be all the motivation you need. and brian, if you have been working out for 4 years and you still get sore for 2-3 days then your body sucks. I work out every single day and I am never sore, I havent been sore since like the 2nd month I started working out. Your body adapts, and you dont get sore anymore.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:45:44 +0000

It sounds like you may be WAY out of shape if 5 different trainers all made you sore for the whole week. I would tell my trainer that I want to lower the intensity because of the soreness but honestly that is what you want. You will become less sore as your body starts to adapt to the workouts, it may take a few weeks but being sore is all part of the game. I have been on a disciplined routine for 4 years now and I still get sore for a few 2-3 days after. It comes with the territory but there are products that you can take post workout that will speed your natural recovery, I would also look into it.

By: Cayden

Cayden — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:05:15 +0000

Since you paid your money, you need to get your money’s worth. Sounds like you need to tell the next trainer you try what you are looking for from the sessions. You aren’t trying to change over night and aren’t going to be motivated if you’re hurting for 5 days. He needs to gradually work up to more difficult exercises and not jump right in on advanced. Those session cost too much for you not to be happy with them. The biggest guy isn’t necessarily the best one. His motivation is probably a lot different from yours. A female trainer knows exactly what the men do. It’s worth a try. Good luck to you. I hope you are successful.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:50:46 +0000

I joined a club, and got their trainer package. (big mistake) I tried to impress upon them that I was trying to make a life change and become more active exercise wize. What I got was extremely overworked muscles to the point I could barely bend my arm for 5 days. I tried multiple instructors, but same result. No listen, and stupid me I did what they told me and ended up beyond sore. I haven’t tried going to a solo instructor (not with the fitness club). Would anyone have any comments on how that might be? I basically need help with motivation for probably the first year until it becomes worked into my life and schedule but nobody seems to hear what I’m saying. Any suggestions would be great.