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| - Plato, circa 400 BCE |
Before we get into it, I should probably try to rub off the target that I painted on my back by deciding to write this and make sure that I'm not totally hated by every PT I know (just a little bit hated, because I'm a generally disagreeable person). This article is not a slur on all personal trainers, there are many, many good PTs out there; nor is this a claim that I know more or can deliver a better service than said trainers, it is simply my opinion on what you should be looking for if you feel like spending your hard earned money on some professional fitness guidance.
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| Not a personal trainer, just an opinionated loud mouth |
With that said, your personal trainer is likely a waste of money if...
1. Your sessions are an unplanned collection of exercises with no structure for progression
"How about we start with the curl machine, then maybe some burpees, then uhhh, some push ups... on a bosu ball... super-setted with TRX mountain climbers, then we'll see how much time we have left and use whatever equipment is free."
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| "Confuse the muscles"...also confuse anyone trying to make sense of your routine |
If you hear something like this from a PT, just leave. Completely improvised sessions that have no week to week structure like this are far from uncommon, and usually occur for one of two reasons. The first is caving to the need to make sessions seem as varied and interesting as possible, throwing in all the exciting bits of equipment, fun exercises and pseudo-advanced techniques to make new trainees feel like they are getting great value. While this may seem fine, lack of a structured, personalised plan makes it far harder to objectively progress in the areas which you want to. Added to the fact that paying a PT to reel off random exercises represents terrible value and provides you with none of the tools to construct your own effective training in the future. The second reason is pure laziness and lack of preparation, if a PT is unable to construct a solid training plan and know exactly what needs to be achieved in your coming session, they are likely not worth your money. However, just being given a plan doesn't mean all that much if...
2. You are given a generic programme/diet, identical to all other clients
Generic/cookie-cutter/off-the-shelf programmes can be great, from 5/3/1 to Smolov to whatever the hell Olympic lifters do, to the deep, dark vaults of Bodybuilding.com, there are many very good programmes out there, written by men and women far more knowledgeable about training than you or I. Programmes such as these provide training frameworks that have proven to be successful in allowing trainees to reach the stated goals of the plan. The cost of obtaining these programmes ranges from 2 minutes of your time spent locating them on the internet to around £30/$50 for the most pricey training (e)books. As that amount of money might not get you 1 hour with some trainers, it is not unreasonable to expect a custom designed programme for your goals and personal needs, or at the very least, some tailoring of a pre-made, tried and true programme; especially as many of the off-the-shelf programmes encourage and detail a degree of customisation to the trainee's wants and needs. This means that a trainer that simply hands you a pre-written programme with no thought is literally less useful than a 12 page PDF. We may not all be completely unique snowflakes, but all trainees will all differ somewhat in their aims, abilities, preferences and attitudes; a good trainer will recognise this and adjust their methods accordingly.
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| A cookie cutter AND a special snowflake. Mind blown. |
A training plan customised to your needs is a great start, however, a you will not achieve all you can if...
3. Your progress is not monitored
Whether you are trying to lose fat, gain muscle, increase endurance or get stronger, physical self improvement lends itself very well to objective measure as a means of tracking progress. If your trainer is not weighing you, taking body composition measurements or regular photographs, you cannot get accurate feedback on your rate of muscle gain or fat loss. If you are not performing the same exercises under the same conditions on a regular basis, you cannot accurately determine whether you are getting stronger or increasing your endurance. Every session does not need to be a test and indeed doing so would be counter productive, but monitoring progress under standardised conditions is the most accurate way to determine whether progress towards a given goal is being made. This allows good trainers to observe whether what you are currently doing is working and tweak your diet/training accordingly, optimising to reach your goals.
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| If your sessions look like this, you may have gone a little too far |
If a PT checks the above 3 points off the list, they are likely a good trainer and you will make good progress when working with them; however the best trainers set you up to keep making good progress, long after you stop paying for their services, which won't be the case if...
4. They complicate, instead of simplifying and tell you what to do, but not why
Many trainers will complicate to profit, leading you to believe that their special methods are key to progress and for that reason, you need to keep paying them as long as you want to be making gains. In truth you can get very deep into the complex minutiae of nutrition and exercise science, but for 99% of people, this is completely unnecessary and learning basic, overarching concepts will serve you far better. A PT that teaches the principles behind training for your goals and gives you basic knowledge frameworks to construct your own training is worth far more than the trainer that gives you fancy, complex workouts, but doesn't explain the concepts behinds them.
If you can find a PT who will listen to your needs and goals, construct a training plan and/or diet to help you reach those goals, take objective feedback to track progress and modify your plan accordingly, all while educating you and giving you the tools you need to a self-dependant and motivated trainee, that is someone worth throwing a fair stack of cash at.
Alternatively, you can pay someone a couple of bills a week to pluck a few exercises out of their arse and shout at you while you sweat a bit. Rinse and repeat for weeks/months/years, until you notice that you have absolutely no gains. Realise your personal trainer was a complete waste of money and time. Cry a little.
