Things that bother me about Personal Trainers

I visit a lot of gyms and there are a few types of trainers that drive me nuts. Here are a few.

1. The rep counter. I watch some of these people sit there and do nothing but count the reps you do on a machine. Many don’t pay attention to if you’re doing it correctly. My 9-year-old can count reps!
2. The social Director. This is the guy who spends your time visiting, joking or selling a different person in the gym while your paying him!
3. The phone trainer. We’ve all watched this guy. He answers the phone while you’re being trained, so much for focusing on you. I watch one guy take a call and walk away from his client while he made plans for his birthday that night.
4. The one size fits all trainer. This guy does the same program for everyone. He’s harder to spot unless you go when you don’t have a scheduled appointment. This trainer rarely knows that training a post-menopausal woman and 23 year-old male athlete is different.
5. The mirror trainer. This is the one I laugh at the most. You know the trainer who looks at himself in the mirror more than he spends putting a program together that will work for you. You’ve seen him, buff bod, polished teeth and a perfect tan.
6. Seat-of-the-pants Trainer. This trainer meets with you and goes around the room looking for the next available machine. No plan (let alone a written plan) for your hour. But hey, we’re flexible around here. No problem you might get a better workout “next time.”

These are a few of the trainers that make it hard for professionals. It’s these trainers than many people believe "are" the profession. They’re not. It takes focus, experience, education, certification and creativity that make a trainer professional (not to mention being on-time).