It would be difficult to deny that the barrage of diet and fitness information in the market today
has many consumers totally confused about which direction they should turn to achieve the results
they are looking for. But, the confusion about which training methods are most effective is
certainly not confined to consumers. Just take a look around the internet or on the shelves of
your favorite book store and you will find that most fitness “experts” have a difficult time
agreeing about which system/method is best too. We have High Intensity Training, German Volume
Training, 6 x 6, Muscle Confusion, Power Factor Training, A Muscle Has Four Sides, and the list
goes on. How does one decide which is best?
Personally, I don’t believe that the ongoing disagreement about exercise methodology necessarily
stems from the scientific merit of one system vs. another. From my perspective the primary sources
of disagreement are either: a) the systems in question attempt to present their product as
the “only way” in order to sell more books, CD’s, DVD’s, etc. Or, b) it is more a matter of
perspective.
Every Personal Trainer, Coach, and Trainee has different goals in mind and unique definitions of
success. Some folks combine a lack of desire to exercise with very vague goals, such as, “I’d
like to feel better and lose a few pounds”. Another client may be well disciplined with a goal of
reaching the NFL. Obviously, the approach to training these two individuals would be completely
different. To put it more simply, it wouldn’t make much sense to train a Fitness Model in the same
way that you would train an Olympic Discus thrower or High School Linebacker. Likewise, you
wouldn’t train an 11 year old Linebacker the same way that you train a 20 year old, collegiate
Linebacker. There are different sets of rules and objectives for each person that you come in
contact with. A trainee’s goals, expectations, health history, schedule, along with many other
factors should determine what training methods are deployed. That is why we call it “Personal
Training”.
A professional Personal Trainer must have the ability to analyze each client’s individual
situation and harmonize their training to match their lifestyle and goals. The attempt to build
the perfect training “blueprint” or “template” to use on everyone who walks through the door is
exactly what many of us have come to know as “cookie cutter programming”. Unless you are
providing this type of service for free it is certainly not what a Personal Training client expects
or deserves to get when paying for our services.
Furthermore, buying into or subscribing exclusively to a given philosophy often limits a trainer’s
ability to exercise their own better judgment. One of the more recent fads in the industry has
been the huge movement toward “functional” training. Personally, I find this to be a very positive
trend for the most part. But, it certainly isn’t a catch all, “holy grail” system. A few weeks
ago, I witnessed a young, inexperienced trainer instruct an elderly, obese woman to drag a duffle
bag with a couple of 45 pound plates inside across the floor. As you may have guessed, she ended
up hurting her back as a result of this insanity. The exercise that she performed would have been
perfect for an 18 year old defensive tackle. But, it was undoubtedly a stupid choice for a very
overweight grandma.
Note to Self: It is very difficult for clients to improve their fitness level if I cause them to
be sent to the emergency room!
There are no short cuts to becoming a great trainer. You must constantly seek out new information
and carefully observe what you see and here from clients and fellow trainers.
People hire Personal Trainers because they believe that we are knowledgeable, educated, free
thinking experts on exercise, not a bunch of sheep who blindly follow the latest diet and exercise
fads that have not yet been put through the test of time. In my opinion, fitness training is a lot
like a vegetable garden; things need their own unique season and set of conditions to provide the
right elements for them to grow and prosper.
Doug Galligan is a Certified Personal Trainer and Health Club Manager with over 20 years of
experience in the fitness industry. You can visit his site at:
http://www.louisvillepersonaltraining.com E-Mail: d.galligan@Insightbb.com
Submitted by:
- Name: Doug Galligan: Personal Trainer
- Date: 01/23/08 at 10:00
- Email: d.galligan@insightbb.com
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