Question to any personal trainers

[Youngguns22]

I have been working as a trainer at ballys(probably my first mistake) and all I hear is other trainers telling me how i need to train peoples core and work on balance. I basically tell them thats fine for you but thats not how i want to train my clients because thats not why i was hired. I was hired because i have an exceptional physique and i want to share with people how i did it and how they can follow what i did. This arguement goes in circles for a while usually ending in the other person saying "well i respect your bodybuilding training style but you are wrong because you didnt read it out of a book." Well if they respected my opinion wouldnt they just agree that my training style is just as effective as theirs and stop questioning me all the time? Can anyone help me out with an approach to shut them up or should i just cut my loses and move to golds or some other gym that respects bodybuilders?

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

You have your trainning style and they have theirs. PLAIN AND SIMPLE! What you are training your clients for may not be what they are training their clients for. So basically if your clients are happy with you, just ignore the other trainers. (IMHO core muscles really do need to be worked just like every other muscle groups, too many exercises rely on good core muscles)

 

[doug1]

(IMHO core muscles really do need to be worked just like every other muscle groups, too many exercises rely on good core muscles)

i've never trained "core" muscles directly, every time you do squats, tricep work with a cable, barbell curls, barbell rows, the core muscles are being worked.

 

[Youngguns22]

Yeah i suppose you are right. Its just annoying for them to tell me everyday to change my style because im putting someone at risk of injury cause i only train core for 5 minutes instead half the workout. Especially when that same trainer will have someone trying to balance on a bosu ball and squat while performing a military press at the same time which seems far more dangerous to me. I dont know, guess i have a lot to learn.

 

[tobefitt]

the core!

YG, I have been training clients for about 8 years, and in my opinion yes you should include core training for your clients. Just because it works for you, doesn't mean it will work for them. They are paying for a service, more than likely to better themselves. Without proper core training they will usually not achieve those goals. A strong core will help a person develope in ALL areas. Train the mind and the body. Try your routines with your eyes closed and see if you feel the difference. It is very easy to lift one leg while standing with your eyes open, but do the same exercise with your eyes closed. Just because a trainer has a great body doesn't always mean the person is a great trainer. I was a trainer at Gold's and I have taken a few body builders and put them through some of my routines, and there response was, wow. They said they were sore in places they had never been sore in before. Because they were working muscles they normally don't hit. You are right you can achieve a very nice physique, but overall health and fitness includes a lot more. Just my 2 cents on the subject!

 

[doug1]

maybe one of the reasons i have never given any attention to the abdominal area is that i never wanted it bigger, always had in my mind the look of big shoulders and tiny waist, lats flairying out, sweep to the quads, you know the look i'm talking about, abs are made in the kitchen.

 

[BOOMSHAKER]

i've never trained "core" muscles directly, every time you do squats, tricep work with a cable, barbell curls, barbell rows, the core muscles are being worked.

most people who do squats do it with poor form, they tend to use a belt and thats only to be used when you are going heavy. Anything else requires a good vaccum hold. BUT it doesn't directly flex and contract the muscle. The only thing it does is hold it in a nuetral state. meaning still. (however it does help it "some")

again barbell curls, if your doing them standing up (i am assuming) then the only thing your doing again is "holding in" your stomach. NOT a direct training on the core muscle.

stricep work with a cable (standing up) again, same as the above.

(just my .02)

 

[joeshow5]

Throw some core training into the mix and tell the other trainers to shut up and mind their own buisness! The best trainers learn from experience not necessarily books. I'm not saying books have no place, I'm just saying someone who doesn't even workout will probably make a lousy trainer regardless of what bok they read or certification they have.

Stick with your plan and style, but be willing to change things at your clients request (i.e. more corfe training).


To hell with the other bosu-ball Gunnar Petersen wannabes! Tell them they need to quit watching all those damn Guthy Renker infomercials.

You should tell the other trainers they need to incorporate more Hip-Hop abs into their routines!lol

 

[gtj220]

Of course core training has value but the vast majority of people that I train want to improve their appearance plain and simple. Lose weight, tone up, get a round ass, lose the gut, etc. So is balancing on a ball absolutley necessary to achieve that, nope. Is it good to have good balance, yup. So when people tell you that you HAVE TO change to their way of training because it's NASM 101, I say you have to give your clients what they are paying you for to the best of your ability and still stay open minded to new techniques to keep things interesting and fun and achieving THEIR goals. No body gives a damn if they have a great core under a fat gut!!!! Just one man's opinion.

 

[TestPolska]

I see this alot and I gotta say alot of that stuff seems dangerous to me. I swear I was walking out of the gym one day there was a personal trainer with a less than par physique having a client of his balance on a rubber ball, while curling the pink weights, she was also hula hooping and jumping up and down at the same time! I had an appointment to get to so I had to hit the road but I regret to this day leaving just as the 'personal trainer' said 'Ok now I'm gonna light the hula hoop on fire, It'll work your core muscles'

But in all seriousness, What the hell is a strong core good for if its under that beer belly? Not shit, bodybuilders know how to manipulate their diets and training to mold their physique as they see fit. Its got nothing to do with 'core muscles'.

Who wants a wide waist anyway?

 

[EastBeast]

I have been working as a trainer at ballys(probably my first mistake) and all I hear is other trainers telling me how i need to train peoples core and work on balance. I basically tell them thats fine for you but thats not how i want to train my clients because thats not why i was hired. I was hired because i have an exceptional physique and i want to share with people how i did it and how they can follow what i did. This arguement goes in circles for a while usually ending in the other person saying "well i respect your bodybuilding training style but you are wrong because you didnt read it out of a book." Well if they respected my opinion wouldnt they just agree that my training style is just as effective as theirs and stop questioning me all the time? Can anyone help me out with an approach to shut them up or should i just cut my loses and move to golds or some other gym that respects bodybuilders?

Here is a simple reply to use each time you are approached with this sh*t:

• Hold up five fingers
• Tell them you have five words for them (the fingers are in case they can't count the words as you speak them)
• Drop a finger for each word
• RESULTS...
• ARE...
• THE...
• FINAL...
• JUDGE.

If they keep talking their mindless banter and quoting "books", challenge them to let you train one of their clients, and see who is getting better results. Let the client, and the stats be the measuring stick.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Youngguns22]

Appreciate all the advise guys. I guess i just wanted to hear what people who train more like i do think about the issue so i could walk in to the next arguement with a level head and still get my point across.

 

[mike1107]

I have been working as a trainer at ballys(probably my first mistake) and all I hear is other trainers telling me how i need to train peoples core and work on balance. I basically tell them thats fine for you but thats not how i want to train my clients because thats not why i was hired. I was hired because i have an exceptional physique and i want to share with people how i did it and how they can follow what i did. This arguement goes in circles for a while usually ending in the other person saying "well i respect your bodybuilding training style but you are wrong because you didnt read it out of a book." Well if they respected my opinion wouldnt they just agree that my training style is just as effective as theirs and stop questioning me all the time? Can anyone help me out with an approach to shut them up or should i just cut my loses and move to golds or some other gym that respects bodybuilders?

have u been wired because of ur humility too ?

no seriously bro, core training is what they do cause IMO they dont know how to build some real muscle and it's what clients are here for, whether they want to tone up a bit, lose some weight or gain some, they need to build a correct muscle base . and core training won't bring it alone .

just stay on what you do the best bro, don't give a f**k about what the other say as long as you have results on people you train, it's all u need

 

[N_iraq]

GOOD Question & my THoughts kinda long

I also worked at BALLYs for about a year and a half part time since i have other obligations,. bottom line for them is money. they deal in turnover not quality they want you to sell whats hot to people that are new to the game. every fad will come and go at Ballys because thats how they draw in new memebrs man. its probably the the fitness coach guys telling you to do the core thing and yeah i went through similar stuff. its all about the paper for Ballys.
I will say there is a place for training core muscles and you should take some time to incorporate some exercises that hit the abs/obliques/eretors specifically but also teach the other trainers and your clients about compound movements like the squat/dead/lunge *(arms above the head)/iron cross and the clean and press that require you to have a strong core and also strengthens their core.
I train on the side still on the low at a gym on my base and my typical session goes like this
Warm up: 5min to get the heart rate up a little warm up the joints and get them prepared mentally for the onslaught, different stuff like jump rope/high jumper with a med ball/jump lunge.....2-3 sets about a minute each
Full body/compound movement 1-2 exercises 3-4 sets moderate weight
like the exercises like the ones mentioned earlier
Target uscle group work: this depends on the split that they are on usally upper and lower if i see them 2xweek or lower/back/front if 3xweek but then there are other splits we do too big muscles get 2-4 exercises 3-5 sets to failure, smaller muscles get 2 exercises 3sets to failure
then we train "CORE" usually 2 exercises for the 3 main areas
some
partner assisted stretching and talking to end things see if they understood the groups we worked remember the exercises and why we iod them in the order we did them stuff like that then ask how they feel
Sorry i got carried away : i hate Ballys but its what you make it brotha i did good stuff and my motto was and still is
"i am gonna train/treat you like i would want someone to train my mother "

 

[doug1]

any business if it's worth it's salt listens to the customer and does all it can to deliver and satisfy. if a guy/gal says they just want general fitness and do excercises to strengthen/support their lower back then the "core" stuff is perfect. the guy who says i want to walk down the beach and make heads turn will be better served letting those core muscles get hit indirectly from the tyical bb movements. you have to put a price on your time, i would rather do more sets for the muscle/muscles that i am working that day then spend time on "core" training stuff, but that's just me.

 

[doug1]

most people who do squats do it with poor form, they tend to use a belt and thats only to be used when you are going heavy. Anything else requires a good vaccum hold. BUT it doesn't directly flex and contract the muscle. The only thing it does is hold it in a nuetral state. meaning still. (however it does help it "some")

again barbell curls, if your doing them standing up (i am assuming) then the only thing your doing again is "holding in" your stomach. NOT a direct training on the core muscle.

stricep work with a cable (standing up) again, same as the above.

(just my .02)

i mention barbell curls for the lower back, not the abs. when i do haeavy tricep extensions it really works my abs especially the ones where your back is to the machine and they are done over the head, this takes a lot of abs to stabalizes the body.
you guys that recommend are right, i'm just too lazy to bother with it. i bet strength wise i am probably stronger than most pt's when it comes to raw ab strength, but who knows, i don't care, i can see 'em so that's all that matters

 

[tkav1980]

i say lets your clients results do all the talking for you. i had a similar issue when i was working at a bally's. though i was an asst mgr. my trainers were worthless so i trained everyone i signed up myself. every one of them kept telling me i was training everyone like a bodybuilder and it was wrong. that is until they saw the progress my customers were making after just 2 mos. then they started to ask about how i trained people. my theory is training like a bodybuilder can work no matter what your goals are. the basics are the same for everyone when it comes to a combination of diet, proper form, porper recovery time and the right workout intensity for the level your on. the bottom line is the body doesnt spot reduce and the more muscle you build the more fat you burn at rest, this with a combination of calories in versus calories out while maintaining balance in the diet will get everyone the results they are looking for... just my 2cc.

 

[N_iraq]

i say lets your clients results do all the talking for you. i had a similar issue when i was working at a bally's. though i was an asst mgr. my trainers were worthless so i trained everyone i signed up myself. every one of them kept telling me i was training everyone like a bodybuilder and it was wrong. that is until they saw the progress my customers were making after just 2 mos. then they started to ask about how i trained people. my theory is training like a bodybuilder can work no matter what your goals are. the basics are the same for everyone when it comes to a combination of diet, proper form, porper recovery time and the right workout intensity for the level your on. the bottom line is the body doesnt spot reduce and the more muscle you build the more fat you burn at rest, this with a combination of calories in versus calories out while maintaining balance in the diet will get everyone the results they are looking for... just my 2cc.

no doubt preach on brotha tkav, let the gospel speak "that results will always quiet the evil nay sayers "

 

[NewFoundPower]

any business if it's worth it's salt listens to the customer and does all it can to deliver and satisfy.

I think Doug here has the right idea...of course core training is valuable in its own right but bottom line is that the training has to be tailored to the client and developed in such a way that they will be able to reach their individualized goals.

 

[full_belly]

bro, some of the best "functional exercises"...

deep squats,
lunges
deadlifts
etc
also some of best bb exercises. the core is way important but two or htree exercises per workout will do it!!!!!!

ask them how functional a " one ARM DB twisting rotaing press on a swissball with a bosu under your left foot" is???