6 Things You Don’t Want To Hear/See From A Fitness Professional

We all have standards of practice in the jobs that we do. The Fitness industry is no different and there are quite a few things that grind my gears.
I am fortunate to work with a fantastic bunch of Personal Trainers who I regularly learn from and bounce other ideas off. I have however come across the following experiences when visiting other gyms or attending courses with other trainers present. Cringe time!

“No Pain No Gain”

This old fashioned statement
really bugs me. I know people use it to help motivate others but i’m not a massive fan of it. There is a difference between finding a workout tough and finding it painful. If you’re in genuine pain you should never try to push through it. Firstly stop and assess whether the pain is being caused by incorrect form or if it’s an actual genuine injury. Reduce the pain get more gains!

Talk the talk but not walking the walk

One of the many roles of a fitness professional is to motivate your clients/audience. Performance training and looking after your physique is definitely one of these roles. It allows you to relate to the struggles others face plus demonstrates you are serious about what you do. If you have no passion for the industry you’re working in then you will struggle to inspire others to attain their goals.

“I can guarantee you results”

False! Unless you can follow your clients around 24/7 then you cannot guarantee what they are going to do outside the gym. I have always liked the quote “long term success is commitment when no one is watching”. Giving good advice and training will give people greater chances of success alongside consistent encouragement.

“You have to run to lose weight”

I nearly spat out my coffee when I heard this on a course once from one of the attendees. Yes running burns calories an increases cardiovascular fitness but it does NOT guarantee weight loss. A suitable calorie controlled lifestyle is key to consistent weight loss.

“Complete this exercise as fast as you can don’t worry to much about the form”

Form is key to injury free progressive exercise. By neglecting form to complete a movement faster you significantly increase the risk of injury. You also risk creating bad movement mechanics by persistently performing exercises incorrectly. Long term issues also include poor posture and joint/muscular issues.

“You must squat below parallel (Ass to Grass)”

There are many factors that affect your squat depth such as flexibility, bone length, hip alignment and also training goal.

If you’re an Olympic weightlifter then squatting below parallel is an essential part of your training due the demands of the sport so doing this correctly is essential.

Squatting below parallel correctly does bring good benefits such as increased glute activation however form is key.

If you have issues with lower limb flexibility attempting to squat below parallel will result in you sacrificing optimum squat form and will do more harm than good. A fitness professional should know the limitations of their client and coach them accordingly. Squatting below parallel isn’t essential to reaping the benefits of the squat

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