Why 50% of Personal Trainers Suck - PART 2

[John Izzo]

You found Part 2...enjoy!

1.) Trainers Think Their Time is TOOO valuable.
This one perturbs me to no end. Since when is your time to valuable to help someone? Many trainers charge up to $100 an hour for their time! I’m sorry but I would never pay anyone $100 for anything. Trainers tend to set their price based on what “more important things they could be doing at the time of the session” (playing with the kids, watching that DVD, making dinner, going out shopping, etc), rather than setting their price based on their level of expertise and background. Too many trainers want the Ferrari as soon as they get the driver’s license. I detail this in my book “Secret Skills of Personal Training”—in order to achieve longevity in this field, you have to position yourself to “service others”. Personal training is not a self-serving career. You help others...you give yourself to others, you sacrifice crappy hours, and dealing with different personality types to help others. The time of the less fortunate (or less healthy in this case) is more valuable than ours...because they don’t have as much left as we do.

2.) Everyone Wants to Be a Trainer
This one I can feel for. Some people develop a desire to help others. I truly understand that testament to help another human in an unfavorable condition. But...just like everyone is not meant to be a doctor, lawyer, and astronaut—neither is everyone meant to be a personal trainer just because you went through the Express line at your local gym for 12 weeks and lost 14 pounds. That doesn’t make you a professional. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be something in life...but to be good at what you do in this field is what separates you from everyone else.

3.) Millionaires Grant Everyone Permission to Call Themselves Trainers
Okay...over the last 2 years there has been an incredible influx of personal training studios, boot camps, websites, and products. This saturation has caused harm in the personal training industry. Many of these personal trainers are encouraged to market themselves and develop half-assed programs. Are they purposely developing half-assed programs? No...but that is the level of competence out there because they are focused more on making a buck through marketing and easy cash. How did this happen? Well, I know of two “so-called” millionaires that have developed a niche for marketing to new trainers. Let’s take “Brian Flea” and “Tim Verbadie”. These guys have commanded a following of young, eager, inexperienced trainers to take the field by storm by marketing themselves to everyone. The field has been overly clogged with people wanting to share their services BEFORE they are actually good at them! “
Brian” and “Tim” love this idea because they are only part of a handful that is marketing to newbies. So THEY are making tons of money off of these newbies. And potential clients don’t know the difference. And another detrimental effect of all of this is: newbies are great at advertising, developing websites, and using sales strategies; but when it comes to training a client....they suck! So the client is “turned off” by the lack of experience, knowledge, professionalism, creativity, and responsibility by these newbies and guess what?
Our field is labeled a JOKE!

4.) Trainers Don’t Workout Themselves
I see this one from time to time. Trainers encouraging their clients to perform a one-arm , one leg standing cable row with rotation on a ½ foam roller! Well....I’m not going to get in to the fact that they trainer may not know exactly why he or she is performing that exercise. But I will get into the fact that I know for a fact—just by looking at the trainer—that the trainer does not perform or cannot perform that exercise. Why do trainers do this? Is it because such an exercise is hard and we want our client to suffer, or is it because the exercise has a purpose? So many trainers are out of shape and not conditioned for the type of training they prescribe (power-lifting, HIIT, functional, etc, etc...) Well, guess what? It’s not only about being physically capable of performing the exercise, but it is more importantly about knowing “where and how” to cue the exercise and understand the mental skills required to perform the exercise. That is why if you preach it, you should practice it!

5.) Trainers Don’t Continue to Learn
I can’t say this enough. To be in the position of developing exercise programs for sedentary people that put they’re hard-earned money and trust into you is so important. A doctor doesn’t graduate school and start seeing patients---they perform a residency at a hospital...for years! Trainers must understand that this practice is more than holding a clipboard and counting reps...it is about understanding the human body and how it correlate to stresses your clients puts on it, and what physical stresses YOU put on it through exercise. An exercise program without modifications in its first 2 weeks is a joke to me. Any trainer that carries around the latest edition of Men’s Fitness during a session is a joke to me. Any trainer that cannot admit that they need assistance or need to refer out is a joke to me. I have met trainers that were certified in 1988 and have not learned anything new. Do you know how much fitness has evolved in just 3 years? Half of today’s trainers do not put the time, effort, and money into continuing education, seminars, or instructional books and videos. They want to make money and not invest in their skills or experience. Imagine this: If I sold you a computer with 2.5 Intel Pentium Processor for $1200, wouldn’t you be upset if you turned around and saw the same price tag on a computer with 4.0 Intel Pentium Processor? You would want the faster computer because you were getting more for your money! Well, sorry to say, not every client is getting the most for their dollars. Some are paying trainers based on their looks, sales tactics, or not knowing what they are getting themselves into.

I don’t mean for this article to offend anyone. I look at this article as a challenge for you to step it up. Personal training can be a dog-eat-dog career choice and if your intentions are placed correctly, you can enjoy a long successful career in it. Don’t let this article discourage you , but let it awaken the original reasons why you want to be a trainer.

[Frank.S]

Great read!

From my experience the number is far greater then 50% though, your being generous haha.

[kingkop182]

Good read.

nice swan

[Lost Dog]

Too bad there's not a trainer rating system, like Health Department A and Bs in the windows of restaurants.

Good list!

[OldGuy]

I’m sorry but I would never pay anyone $100 for anything.

Ummmmm.................

Good article again, John.

[John Izzo]

Thanks guys....

Make sure you read Part 1 first. It really sets up the Top 5 list!

[Tony Gentilcore]

All I have to say is that I am definitely worth $100.......

[John Izzo]

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

[mystery_bowler]

4.) Trainers Don’t Workout Themselves
I see this one from time to time. Trainers encouraging their clients to perform a one-arm , one leg standing cable row with rotation on a ½ foam roller! Well....I’m not going to get in to the fact that they trainer may not know exactly why he or she is performing that exercise. But I will get into the fact that I know for a fact—just by looking at the trainer—that the trainer does not perform or cannot perform that exercise. Why do trainers do this? Is it because such an exercise is hard and we want our client to suffer, or is it because the exercise has a purpose? So many trainers are out of shape and not conditioned for the type of training they prescribe (power-lifting, HIIT, functional, etc, etc...) Well, guess what? It’s not only about being physically capable of performing the exercise, but it is more importantly about knowing “where and how” to cue the exercise and understand the mental skills required to perform the exercise. That is why if you preach it, you should practice it!

Amen. Never trust a skinny chef or a fat trainer.

[Cynic]

Number five is applicible to any profession. I work in IT and my company is in the process of converting over to a new software system completely apart from anything that has gone before.

As part of this, the two mainframes I monitor are slated for loss. so many people out of a job and there one woman who is a DB2 DBA and isn't wanting to learn Oracle. She a nice woman, classy and all, but she's set in her ways.

A good article.

[Frank.S]

That picture could mean anything.


But I will say I laugh at the fat trainer at my gym! its halarious! Seeing her trying to teach people how to stand on a big ball and do bicep work makes me crack up every time. They think im crazy im sure.

[BFG]

hmmmm that articles smacks a little of sour grapes out there. Tarring every one with the same brush yes experience can count for alot but some experienced trainers get so emvoriled in the science of it all they lose the bigger picture ie that they are training human beings that dont have the same level of knowledge or b) are simply not interested and just want results.

Whilst I agree there is alot of crap trainers out there I see it as any other purchase:

1) does this trainer fit my goals
2) Does this trainer run in line with my ethos
3) Can I get on with this trainer
4) Does this trainer represent value for money

Thats not in any particular order.

But there is little point in going to a trainer who is going to get you to take supps till they come out of you eye balls then get you running like forrest gump to burn off excess if you dont subscribe to that as you will simply give up.

[EdChap]

Great read, John!

[Irishdazza]

I enjoy all your articles...but this one exactally sums up the 14 trainers in my gym, from poor to excellent. The attributes you describe are the criteria that seperate them.

[John Izzo]

Damn...what a handsome guy....

[Newlife]

Good Post John!


Tit, Can you please post your picture.

[Deserve]

I've disagreed with some of your articles before but this one was spot on. Specifically number 5.

[Eric Cressey]

With all due respect, while I think John makes some good points, I think that they could be related in a better manner. That is, I'm a firm believer (as entry-level marketing texts will always tell you) that you should never put others down in an attempt to build your own reputation. Perhaps it's just me mellowing in my ripe old age (25..haha), but I tend to pick my battles (they're rare nowadays) and assume the role of the unconditionally positive guy.

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? You can't throw out the baby with the bathwater; Ryan and Jim have done a lot to bring some really bright minds to the forefront. Alwyn knows more about the fitness industry than anyone else with whom I've ever spoken, and he can't say enough good things about Ryan