Why Did We Stop Asking Why?

Ever spend some time around a 4 or 5 year-old? It seems that every other word is “why?” Why do they ask why? Because they are curious, they want to know, they are eager to learn the answers to their questions. They want to understand, why something is the way it is. But why do we stop asking why? It is because we are taught to. We eventually learn to stop asking why when we repeatedly hear, “because I said so,” or “because I’m the mommy, that’s why,” or “stop asking why.” Eventually we learn to stop inquiring, learning, seeking for an answer to why something is such, and more importantly, do to the first two responses, we learn not to question authority. Yale University Psychologist Stanley Milgram sure taught us that in his infamous Obedience to Authority experiment published in 1974.

Milgram developed a generator that simulated electric shocks, where average participants were ordered by the experimenter (who were made to believe) to shock another person, who claimed to have a heart condition, from 15 volts all the way up to 450 volts of electricity when he gave an incorrect response. His experiment definitely showed that we tend not to question authority. ¹

With that said, when working with your personal trainer, have you ever asked why you are doing a particular exercise?

As I mentioned in a previous article, The Role of a Personal Trainer in August 2009, I had number “6” as “Describe the Workout and the Rationale.”

“Your trainer should be able to explain why you are working out in a particular way, how your workout will help you achieve your goals, and why you are not doing some exercises that you might see others doing. Ask questions; your trainer should answer them thoroughly without becoming offended or impatient. It is your right to know. If your trainer feels as if you are questioning their ability, and simply tells you to “trust them,” or better yet, they cannot give you an answer, find a new trainer. Your trainer should always communicate well with you, it’s your workout!!”

So your trainer wants you to jump over a stability ball while throwing a medicine ball over your head behind you. (Yes, I have seen a colleague suggest this, and his client did not clear the ball completely. Luckily, his client did not suffer severe permanent injury). Would you say to your trainer, “You know, that does not look very safe, is there a reason why you want me to do this? How is this going to help me?” or, “I heard that doing lat pull downs behind the neck were unsafe, is there something else that I can do that will work the same muscles? Or, “I read that crunches were leading to low back injuries, is there another core exercise you can have me do that is safer?” “Is there a safer way to get the same results without risking my spinal health?”
Would you ever ask any of the above questions if your trainer suggested those or any other exercises that raised a red flag in your head?

Chances are, probably not, because we have been trained, long ago, not to ask why, and not to question authority. But why would you not ask? Whose work out is it? Whose body is at stake? Yours! So you should ask, and you should assume responsibility for your well-being, your workout, and if you believe or know for a fact, that something is potentially unsafe for you, do not do it. Question your trainer, its ok. No one should force you to do something that might be unsafe. Your trainer should always be able to provide an adequate explanation of why you are doing a particular exercise, and should always have a substitute exercise for you that you would be comfortable performing.

I once had a client adamantly tell me that she was not going to do a particular exercise. It was mostly because she felt silly and thought she might fall, but still, I had no problem with that. I gave her another exercise that would have the same effect, but that she was comfortable executing. Do not confuse this with a client never wanting to leave their comfort zone; that is not what I am trying to communicate here. I am simply stating that a trainer should be able to thoroughly explain to their client what the exercise is, what it is working, how it is working, the benefits as well as the risks of the exercise, how it will assist in achieving their fitness goals, as well as similar exercises that will achieve the same results.

Again, if your trainer does not listen to your concerns, and respect them, find a new trainer. It might be the best decision you ever made.

June 2010

¹ Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View. New York: Harper and Row.