I was working out at the gym when I noticed one of the personal trainers, working with a couple of female members. I could tell they were novices by the way they were acting around the equipment so it was good that they had a trainer showing them the ropes. At one point, the personal trainer walked away from the two ladies to attend to something. Technically he should not have left them because that can lead to an accident or somebody getting hurt. But, It's what I saw next that really surprised me.
One the ladies began to use the lat pulldown machine and pulled the bar down and to the front of their heads. The trainer – from across the gym – yelled “Stop! Wait! You don’t know what you’re doing!”. Walking back to the two ladies, the personal trainer proceeded to instruct the woman to pull the lat pulldown bar behind the neck!
Just as a blanket statement, people should not pull the lat pull bar behind the neck because it might increase the risk of injuries to the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. Health clubs market personal trainers “experts”. Advising people to pull the lat pulldown bar to the front of the head is “Personal Training 101” and he should have known this. Why did the guy have the ladies perform the exercise this way? I don’t know. I would like to think that he had a good reason.
Personal trainers need to know that when they work with people in health clubs, that everybody is watching them; other members are watching them. Other personal trainers are watching them. Physical therapists are watching them. Doing things that other professionals believe is incorrect, makes the whole fitness industry look bad.
All fitness trainers and group fitness instructors must stay educated if they are to be successful.
come to think of it, any trainer can be certified through any company and still not know proper form.. heck even degreed. ouch! but nice website by the way.. very informative
Thanks Mike I apprecaite the feedback!
hi Joe, you are right. The cert doesnt make the trainer..only experience does.
what are your thoughts on ISSA,IFPA and NESTA?
Mike, Ive never taken any of those certs but the few people Ive met with the ISSA cert I felt knew their stuff. Many years ago I did teach for IFPA and felt their curriculum was sound and based in exercise science. I really don’t know anything about NESTA personally. If you know anything about any of these please share.
Joe , good point…don’t forget the stress it can put on the cervical .. I have a question so for you.. a few years back at la fitness havertown, one of my coworkers was a trainer and how is it that he didn’t know,a) the prime movers in a squat and b) how to do it?
She had just passed her exam and as certified by AAAI?
while to be NCCA or NOCa accredited means you dont have to technically attend a training class, just pass an exam, but should she have known that??
Just a concern..
Mike, that’s a very good question and I dont have an answer to that. he should have. Sometimes trainers focus only on “I gotta get certified” and then dont do a darn thing afterward. It a sad thing about the industry. I hope you helped that trainer out.