Last month, I joined a new gym. (So did my boyfriend, and we hope to work out together more often.) Each new member is offered one free session with a personal trainer. The reason I wanted to join a gym is because although I exercise regularly--I run three times a week and practice yoga most days--I (gulp) skimp on strength training. Though I do build strength with yoga, I know I need to add some cross-training to my regimen. My excuse: I'm busy! But, by rejoining a gym, I have committed to strength training at least twice a week. So far, I've stuck with that goal. I arrived at the gym, ready to work out. The trainer started with a fitness assessment. My body fat had dropped a half-percent since April (yay!), and my weight was about four pounds higher (I was wearing shoes, but I haven't been running as much in this heat). I felt pretty good about myself. And then we started talking… The trainer asked me a little about my fitness background: "Well, I haven't been to a gym since last fall…" "Last fall?" he asked, his brow furrowing. "Yes, but I'm a yoga instructor and I've been training for various races. Between running and yoga, I didn't need a gym. I work out at least five days a week." Trainer wasn't pleased, but he moved on. "Why aren’t you in the best shape of your life?" he asked. I cleared my throat, contemplating my answer. I am in the best shape of my life. I'm not the thinnest I've ever been, but I'm definitely the strongest. I ran a half marathon three months ago, and I'm starting to train for my second one. My shoulders and arms are getting stronger and more defined, and I just feel good. "What's keeping you from reaching your fullest potential? What's your weakness?" he asked before I could respond. "I like a glass of wine with dinner," I said. "I like good food. I eat right, but I eat." "Well, it sounds like nutrition is an issue for you." "Actually, I'm a vegetarian who cooks mostly from scratch. I work for a healthy living website, and nutrition is one of the topics I cover. I eat when I'm hungry, but I eat pretty healthy most of the time." He changed gears. "Let's look at your body fat percentage." He pulled out a chart. "Yours is here," he said, pointing to his chart's section for above average. I looked more closely at the chart. I'm familiar with the categories for body fat percentages, and the gym's chart was off. According to the American Council on Exercise, a woman with 21%-24% body fat is in the "fitness" range; 14%-20% is "athlete" range. ACE tells me I'm in "fitness" range; the gym tells me I'm "above average." "We want to get you here," he said, indicating the "fit" range on his chart, which started much lower than the ACE chart. "Now let's get started." He called over another trainer, who started my workout. For 25 minutes, the trainer led me through a series of exercises that pushed my limits. Full pushups to plank to forearm planks, several kettlebell exercises, more squat than I care to remember, and several straight-leg abs exercises. Just halfway through the workout, when the trainer was checking his phone instead of checking my form, I knew that this would be the first and the last workout I would do with him. (Better to break up with a trainer sooner rather than later!) I couldn’t wait to get to work today to tell Coach Nicole all about this workout--there were so many things he did that would have made her cringe! From giving me no instruction on kettlebells to asking me to go way too low in squats, then focusing on abs exercises that--I repeatedly told him--compromised my lower back by forcing it off the mat, I knew I had a blog post in the making. I will continue to go to the gym, but I will look to other fitness professionals (and our Exercise Demos) to help me integrate strength training into my routine. Not only is my body in the best shape of its life, but so is my mind. I'm confident about my body, and I accept my flaws. I will never have a bikini-ready belly, and I'm OK with that. I love myself, and anyone who tries to tear me down--even for the sake of "toning me up"--has no place in my life. I could have much lower body fat if I spent more time in the gym or restricted my eating. I don't want to do either of those things. I eat right, exercise regularly, and I'm at a happy weight. Let my experience be a lesson for you. 1. Don't let anyone try to deflate your self-esteem. Regardless of your fitness and health goals, your self-worth is not determined by a number on the scale or your body fat percentage. If a trainer doesn't respect the hard work you're doing to reach your goal, find someone who does! 2. A trainer is not a dietitian, a therapist, or a pharmacist. Know what they can recommend and what they can't. (Learn more about what to look for in a trainer.) 3. Don't be afraid to say no. I knew heading into my "free" session that the trainer would try to sell me a year's worth of sessions. Though I told him early on that I usually work out at least five days a week, he tried to tell me I wasn't committed to fitness. I thanked him for his time and told him I didn't want any sessions. "You won't be back," he said. Um, to the gym, yes. To you, no. Trainers can be a valuable resource along the road to a healthier you, and I know people who credit theirs in large part for their success. My experience was, I hope, a rare one. I don't want to single out one person or one gym (I won't name names), but I hope you'll remember my experience when you're out shopping for a gym or a trainer. A few years ago, when I first tried to lose weight, I went to gym that offered a free session every three months. The trainers there were wonderful, and I wish I could have afforded regular sessions because then, unlike now, I needed the motivation. (Take our quiz: Do You Need a Personal Trainer?) Have you ever used a personal trainer? What results did you achieve? What would you have done if you were me?  You will earn 5 SparkPoints
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Comments
Also, when did people stop listening? It's really become a lost art! That trainer obviously did not listen to you or you weren't giving him the answers he was trained to say. Sounds like a trained parrot could have given you the same workout, except more entertaining! Report
I signed up for 6 sessions with a personal trainer this morning - at a new gym. We'll see... I'm still unmotivated and very skeptical. Report
This is a great sentiment! I love me too! Report
The Manager of the trainers started off our session with the health assessment, No Stretching, Few Minutes on a treadmill, then a few exercises. Most of the exercises were for my legs. My goal was to see how the gym equipment worked, and discuss a few exercises for beginners. Report
For me, I want a workout that I'll follow on my own for a month - which we'll do together the first time so they can watch my form, a general discussion on my diet (with action steps and accountability), and encouragement. If a trainer tries to get me to work out with them several times per week, I just say no and find someone else. Even within the same gym there are gems and duds.
Good luck! Report
She left to go back for a teaching degree so I'm doing things on my own until I find someone else who will help me to meet my goals. Report
First of all, if you are there, to get started in any kind of shape, then it is to be congratulated and encouraged. Then het should not have split the transaction and given you someone else to train you after he "assessed" you.
What is the use of trying to build a report with someone and making them understand you so that you can work with them if they send you off to be killed by someone else.
Now the therapist situation is something that I sometimes struggled with as a PT, because I am a therapist on other days... what I have realise is that depending ont he client, some really need more therapy than exercise and they often need more encouragement than others. However if you are training for marathon's then therapy is obviously not the aim. All I can say is this whole bad experience you had is what I combat all day, because people tend to think all PT's have no clue of what they are doing. Anyway, I love my job and my clients and hope you find a person that takes your goals seriously. Report
First of all, if you are there, to get started in any kind of shape, then it is to be congratulated and encouraged. Then het should not have split the transaction and given you someone else to train you after he "assessed" you.
What is the use of trying to build a report with someone and making them understand you so that you can work with them if they send you off to be killed by someone else.
Now the therapist situation is something that I sometimes struggled with as a PT, because I am a therapist on other days... what I have realise is that depending ont he client, some really need more therapy than exercise and they often need more encouragement than others. However if you are training for marathon's then therapy is obviously not the aim. All I can say is this whole bad experience you had is what I combat all day, because people tend to think all PT's have no clue of what they are doing. Anyway, I love my job and my clients and hope you find a person that takes your goals seriously. Report
I give 100% of my attention to my clients and I make myself available to them 24/7 as they are paying me for my services. It is their money, committment, lifestyle, and their body so they get the final say. Please do not let a bad experience turn you away from trainers! You must be smart. Do your research, use referrals, and listen to your guy instincts just like you would when choosing a doctor or other health care professional.
Remember "The greatest wealth is health!"
Report
I'd say, since you have committed by joining a gym, go at different hours and just watch the different trainers there, if you still think you might want or need to work with someone. Maybe you won't, since you'll be with your boyfriend. I went through 3 different trainers before I found "mine." Don't feel bad about switching. Sometimes people just don't mesh, and you are not "theirs."
Good luck at the gym! Report
The second experience was at the same gym. They were doing free body fat testing. I suppose they thought people would be so horrified at their BF% that they would sign up for personal training on the spot. My % falles into the "athlete" range, but the trainer was looking at the %'s for men and insisted, repeatedly, that I was average (may have even been above average). I kept pointing out that he was looking at the male side of the scale but he was deaf to me! Report
Guess it's like everything else - good and bad apples in that barrel and you just have to be careful which one you pick!! Report
I like how others have reminded us that personal trainers are not dieticians. Mine is certified and has a degree in athletic training but I know at a lot of bigger gyms it really is a one-size-fits-all approach and that's too bad. Report
From the start I felt that the young man was condescending and more interested in strutting his stuff than in helping anybody - much less an older woman. He might have taken a different tone with me if I had been 25.
Early in the interview he asked about my fitness activities. I told him that I walked 4 miles 3 times a week, did some cardio tapes at home and practiced yoga every day and sometimes twice a day. He sort of chuckled and said, "Yoga isn't exercise. It's just stretching." Hello? We were not off to a good start.
During the nutrition part of the conversaton, he asked how often I eat fast food. I told him that I rarely eat fast food and had not eaten that stuff for years. He said, "Yeah, right." and moved on. He was really ticking me off.
The nail in the coffin, so to speak, was when he set me up on a machine to lift weights with my ankles. I gave it a try, but after a couple of reps, it was clearly not going to work out for me. I explained to him that I have titanium plates and screws in my left leg just above the ankle and that the bar for the weights put too much pressure on one of the screws, making it very painful to try to lift. Instead of offering an alternative exercise that would have much the same benefits without the pain and risk of tissue damage, he told me that I should do more reps with just the painful leg to strengthen it. Okay...well, it wasn't about the level of strength in that leg, it was about having the weight pressing against a screw.
Of course, he tried to sell me a year's worth of sessions. When I didn't go for that, he tried to sell me a 3-month package. When I explained that I had never belonged to a gym before and that I wanted to see if working out there would fit my schedule and be enjoyable for me, he rolled his eyes and said, "You just want an excuse to be lazy about it." That didn't stop him from trying to sell me a 6-session package for $200. When I declined that, he said, "Well, I can't help you if you dont' want to help yourself" and walked away.
Not only did he put me off personal trainers, he dampened my enthusiasm for going to the gym to add more cardio and strength training. Report
Personal trainers can be more interested in themselves than the client and think they know best! Clearly with you they don't.
Good luck on a better experience next time.
Report
I was really happy with the gym I went to before I got pregnant (then I got lazy and then I had a baby and can barely leave the house - I run and do videos at home now) - they were no pressure, very positive, and VERY affordable. They were the complete opposite of the vibe that you seemed to get from Mr. Jerk-Trainer. Report
This was a great article and opens my eyes to just what a novice would experience. Luckily, you knew a lot about the subject. Report