Why 50% of Personal Trainers Suck - PART 2

[Irishdazza]

Kinda off topic but since we're going witrh the whole thread hijack thing...

One of the trainers in my gym used to coach Steve Collins for his title fights. He is in a great deal more demand than the other trainers, purely because of that. These clients have no idea of his knowledge base or ability, just that there is a tentative attachment to celebrity there.

His schedule is as full as he can manage - so he charges £35ph instead of the £25 the rest of them charge. As it happens he's worth it and more- he's a fantastic motivator and has been a competetive bodybuilder, powerlifter, MMA competitor and gym owner. His business sense is, however, not so good!

He does the job he does because he loves it - whether he's turning a lardass into a beefcake/honey or average competitor into a winner - he loves it!

He works the hours he wants, and charges according to the lifestyle he wants, as opposed to what he thinks the market will support.

Can't say as I'd argue with that!

[Newlife]

Originally Posted by EdChap

Are we still talking as a Personal trainer or are you referring to something else you do to earn some $$?

He does have some purdy legs.

[Steve-O-68]

Originally Posted by NeilC

Yes but he said that "so many trainers are out of shape". His photo looks like HE is out of shape. If that is the case it is somewhat ironic/hypocritical.

You have no idea where the guy came from though. You could look at me, at 185 pounds, and say I'm scrawny and have no business training people how to gain weight. You wouldn't know that just over 2 years ago, I weighed 125 pounds. You might not want to take weightloss advice from my buddy who weighs 195 pounds... but I bet knowing he started his journey at over 300 pounds would change your mind.

[Jean-Paul]

I think that your article is great. A lot of it cracks me up because I observe this in the fitness industry all the time. I can't tell you the trainer hiring nightmares I have experienced!

As for the allusion to Ryan Lee, I do have to jump in to his defense here. He is no different than us except that he's just a lot smarter about some things, and it has made him wealthy. I don't begrudge him of this in any way. If anyone deserves it he does. He takes the average trainer out there and improves their education, helps them form a personal philosophy, and gives them a business framework.

If he had been doing this back when I got started I probably would have used him. As it was, I had to suffer unnecessarily by many expensive mistakes which are part in parcel with trial and error management styles. He has a very distinct marketing method. It obviously works, but it's not my style at all. The long-letter format just feels like too much information on one page. I'm not knocking it, just pointing out that a peer can have a different style or method that works for them, but that it doesn't make them insincere.

As for the trainer being out of shape, unfortunately I fall into that category at times, and it really bums me out. Right now, for example, I'm neither lean nor strong. My neck and shoulder are in constant pain, which keeps me from getting intense workouts, which in turn keeps me from having that turgid frame I took for granted for so many years. I hope that I can still offer something to my clients, but I have to admit that the pressure I feel to constantly stay in top shape is daunting at times.

The thing about everyone wanting to be a trainer is so true, to the extent that it is maddening! My brother recently went through a job change. He was a Disney animator for 12 years at a very high level, and when they scrapped their entire 2D animation dept, they canned over 3000 animators. He came to live with my family for a few months while he looked for work. What pissed me off was that he wanted to work for me as a trainer for a few months while he was job-searching.

I cannot tell you how insulted I was. He just presumed that since he was generally pretty athletic (we both played sports growing up), that he was somehow qualified to be a trainer. He just thought that trainining was having everyone do the same routine while you follow them around with a clipboard. AS IF!

I explained to him that it was a much more complex process, and that what he was suggesting was like me offering to come to Disney as an animator (I am a decent artist). On top of that, his idea of good nutrition was to eat one large meal a day!

I wanted to wring his little neck, but since he was my brother I let him slide. Sadly though, I know too many people who have said or done something similar.

I have people show up at my gym all the time for interviews, only to learn that they want me to get them certified. Or if they even show up already certified, they can't even answer some basic questions about physiology or training concepts.

[laxcdn]

Originally Posted by hard_rox

What constitutes "in shape"? John is talking about trainers not being in shape for "the type of training they prescribe (power-lifting, HIIT, functional, etc, etc...)". Would you take power-lifting advice from a trainer that looked like a guy from the cover of Men's Health? Probably not. You'd want someone like Tate training you. I think that is John's background too. So don't start getting all over his case because he doesn't have 8% BF. He's stared in/producted several training DVD's, so I'd bet he's in decent enough shape to go thru the motions and do the exercises he prescribes.

It was me who brought this up, and to me if you make that statement and look like that, you are putting yourself into that 50%. If you are a traininer you are to be fit. Look at a lot of the olympic coaches, they are fit, skinny and they train powerlifters. Dave Tate, may have been fat, but also has the size to back it up. He may have the knowledge and walk the walk, but unless you look the role people won't take you seriously. Remember, people still judge a book by its cover.

[Cynic]

Originally Posted by standAPART

We all are in some way or another....

Tell you what, you charge the editor $100 to write it, I'll charge you $100 to proofread it, someone will charge me $100 to typeset it, someone will charge him/her $100 to print it, the editor charges the public $100 to read it and it starts all over again.

[sean]

Originally Posted by Steve-O-68

You have no idea where the guy came from though. You could look at me, at 185 pounds, and say I'm scrawny and have no business training people how to gain weight. You wouldn't know that just over 2 years ago, I weighed 125 pounds. You might not want to take weightloss advice from my buddy who weighs 195 pounds... but I bet knowing he started his journey at over 300 pounds would change your mind.

Meh, it shouldn't matter.

Judging someones ability to train you or give you advice based on their appearance or performance is myopic beyond belief.

Anyone who continues to cling to the notion that looks = experience needs to get a clue.

[Alwyn]

Overall - some good points but the cheap shots against Ryan and Jim were unprofessional and sound far more like bitterness than constructive advice.

Your comments that 70% of readers wouldn't know who you were referring to anyway, suggest that you had an agenda - that certainly wasn't to educate the readers. If 70% of readers don't know who you are referring to, then you are writing for a different purpose.

Originally Posted by standAPART

1.) Trainers Think Their Time is TOOO valuable.

My time is EXTREMELY valuable. It's the most valuable resource I have. Change the word "time" and use "life" instead. I do not, have not and will not give my time/life away indiscriminately. I choose to spend my life with certain people and not with everyone. I guess I suck as a trainer then.

In fact my time is valuable enough that I shouldn't (and won't) respond to this thread any further.

Originally Posted by Eric Cressey

In particular, the cheap shots at Ryan Lee and Jim Labadie are unprofessional and completely incorrect. You take a very pessimistic outlook by saying that they've just helped inexperienced trainers, a statement that couldn't be further from the truth. If that was the case, why would Alwyn Cosgrove, Brian Grasso, Bill Hartmann, Zach Even-Esh, Mike Boyle, Gary Rock, Mike Robertson, myself, and many others be swearing by them and writing them testimonials?

Agree 100% and this is my reason for responding here at all. Ryan and Jim are class acts and have helped a lot of people, myself included.

Originally Posted by standAPART

These guys have commanded a following of young, eager, inexperienced trainers to take the field by storm by marketing themselves to everyone.

I guess I'm a young, eager, inexperienced trainer as I fully and completely endorse Ryan Lee and Jim Labadie and consider them both to be great professionals and great people.

AC

[hard_rox]

Originally Posted by laxcdn

if you make that statement and look like that

Pretty crass, don't you think Mike?

I don't think John ever claimed to be a cardio bunny. If that was the case, then you'd have a point. If he has a powerlifting background, wouldn't he have some "size to back it up"? Have you tried to find any other pictures of John besides the candid in his avatar? Take a look at the covers of John's DVDs (on his second website). He looks pretty solid & flexible to me.

If I remember correctly there's a publicity picture of certain well-known trainer around here that looks like he just rolled off the couch after a frat party and had his picture taken in a wrinkled athletic shirt. Doesn't really "look the role" of a sucessful or knowledgable trainer to me.

[I. Kay]

Alwyn: You do suck. Give it up. Just pack up all of your training manuals, notes, books, equipment... and just get rid of them. PM for my address. I've got a large attic you can use.

[Newlife]

Anyone who takes shit about how someone looks, better post their pic in that same thread.

I would love just once, for someone on a fitness forum, to show what they look like currently if they must insult another member.

Show up your god-like bodies (except Eric ;-)

[laxcdn]

Originally Posted by hard_rox

Pretty crass, don't you think Mike?

I don't think John ever claimed to be a cardio bunny. If that was the case, then you'd have a point. If he has a powerlifting background, wouldn't he have some "size to back it up"? Have you tried to find any other pictures of John besides the candid in his avatar? Take a look at the covers of John's DVDs (on his second website). He looks pretty solid & flexible to me.

If I remember correctly there's a publicity picture of certain well-known trainer around here that looks like he just rolled off the couch after a frat party and had his picture taken in a wrinkled athletic shirt. Doesn't really "look the role" of a sucessful or knowledgable trainer to me.

Yes I do and I apologize, but that is the way the world works. You should look the part and if you are not what you are promoting, then people will think that it doesn't work. He was stating that 50% of trainers suck cause they don't do what they preach, if you look overweight then you musn't take fitness seriously and if you don't take it seriously, then how can you train me. Most people need a goal and if the trainer is fit then they would strive for that.

[laxcdn]

Originally Posted by Newlife

Anyone who takes shit about how someone looks, better post their pic in that same thread.

I would love just once, for someone on a fitness forum, to show what they look like currently if they must insult another member.

Show up your god-like bodies (except Eric ;-)

I know that I am no fitness trainer and as JP said in another post, if we didn't have families then we would have more time to dedicate towards it. If I didn't have a kid and wife, I would have a ton more time for fitness and diet. I am fat and don't have a lot of muscle, but if I had to pick a trainer, I would pick someone like CB, Alwyn, or JP who look fit compared to someone who wasn't. And I did, I went to CB last summer.

[Newlife]

John could have been at the end of a bulk in his pic. Look at his site, watch the demo videos, and tell me what you think. Judging someone by 1 pic of their face and shoulders, is not a good way to judge.

[laxcdn]

Correct I shouldn't, I apologized, but the truth is, if you don't look the part then you are not going to get judged by that. He may be a great trainer I don't know that he isn't so I can't judge his skills.

[John Izzo]

Thanks for your support guys. I invite you to watch my demo videos or check out my pics. Whoa...a bad avatar pic...damn, should've not used that one! Will everyone else post a pic, so I can see what is a good pic to post? Maybe a double-biceps? Most muscular? I am not shredded by any means....I am no cardio bunny (as someone stated)...but I can mesh with the strongest and fastest. My best lifts were in my 20's, and honestly at 32, after a 2 major orthopeadic surgeries, I have wised up and stopped trowin' weight around.

If I offended anyone, I apologize. When I was asked to join this forum, it was becasue it was lacking debate. I like to think I brought debate to the table instead of people quoting their best lifts, or Ronnie Coleman's new workout.