July 2009 Q & A: Personal Trainers and the Acai berry
Last July, people have asked me a few good questions, and I wanted to share my answers with you in this newsletter. First, I was asked, “is it really worth hiring a personal trainer?” My first response, of course, was an immediate “yes.”
From 2005 to 2009, I have seen many of the same members at my previous gym. Many of them doing the same workouts, taking the same classes, and their bodies look exactly the same, and I do not mean that in a positive manner. The members that I have seen that look great, are fit, healthy, and maintained their results, are the ones who work with a trainer on a regular basis. I have also seen many members use equipment incorrectly, use poor form with joints out of alignment, and some perform exercises that I have no idea what for. So many people go to the gym, and are simply wasting their time, or putting themselves at risk for an injury, which I have also seen happen to some when they workout on their own.
Some have asked me, “Why don’t you say something to them?” The truth is, I have. However, it often comes across as unsolicited advice or criticism, which is not well received. When you try to help, and you get attitude in return, it does not motivate you to do it again. One time, I saw a man doing single-leg squats off a plyo-box, with his shin jutting forward, knee past the toe, and heel coming up. I walked over to him and explained the potential harm he could be doing to his knee and showed him the correct way. He was appreciative; however, a week later, he was doing them again, but again, incorrectly. Some need more direction that others, and need to be taught more than once how to correctly perform an exercise. Therefore, saying something once may or may not do any good.
After my immediate “yes,” and my thoughts of why, I then I began thinking of some of my former colleagues, and their abilities as a trainer. Would they be worth hiring? Hec no. So is it worth hiring a trainer, yes, but only a good trainer or the right trainer. I wrote an article, “The Role of a Personal Trainer,” which I will share this article with you here.
The Role of a Personal Trainer
What is the role or the purpose of having a personal trainer? Is it something only wealthy people have, or is it merely a status symbol simply to say you have one, or is it someone to pay attention to you in a social or flirtatious manner? Is it someone who yells at you while you are working out and forces you to work out in extreme intensity? The answer to these questions is a giant, “NO!” TV shows such as Workout and The Biggest Loser are putting personal trainers in an unrealistic, unfavorable, and unprofessional light.
Personal training is a growing, and with the U.S. obesity rate hovering 66%, a highly necessary and coveted profession. People are simply not as active as they were decades ago and high calorie foods are readily available to us. We are told that we need to exercise, but most do not know what that is or how to do so in a safe and effective manner. Therefore, a personal trainer is often necessary for one’s health and well-being. Below I listed 11 necessary roles/responsibilities of a personal trainer. This should be your guide in hiring and retaining a personal trainer.
Your personal fitness trainer should:
1. Assess your unique body and fitness needs
A Personal Trainer should give you a Fitness Assessment; this should be comprehensive. This should not simply consist of taking your weight, measurement, and/or body fat percentage. He or she should also do movement assessments or screening. This will help determine if you have any problems or postural distortions that need to be corrected before you start any kind of fitness program. He or she should learn of any previous injuries or surgeries that can affect your workout. Jumping into any program without addressing any concerns can lead to injury or other discomforts, decreasing your chances of adhering to your program.
Once these are addressed, you can start core training to begin working on stability. This is important as all movement begins at the core. Your trainer should use proprioceptive equipment such as balls, Airex pads, Bosu’s, balance boards, foam rollers and elastic bands, and progress you as needed.
2. Obtain your history
Your trainer should obtain and complete physical history including injuries, current exercise program, lifestyle, and medical history. Your trainer should know anything and everything that could affect your physical ability and workouts. This includes any medications you are on, as many can affect the heart rate. In addition, your trainer should go over your current diet to determine how that might affect your workouts. Your trainer can give you diet advice and suggestions, but unless your trainer is a licensed nutritionist or dietitian, he or she should not be prescribing meal plans. Your trainer can give you food examples and assist you in making better food choices to help improve your diet. He or she should have someone to refer you to if your diet appears to be of a concern.
3. Set goals and motivate you to achieve them
Your trainer should work with you to set measureable, realistically attainable short and long-term goals that you want to achieve. He or she might suggest other goals for you as well, but you should agree to them. The above assessment should be repeated periodically to mark your progress, and keep you on track. This is an important aspect of motivation. When you slowly begin to achieve your goals, you will be motivated to set new ones. Your trainer should keep you motivated!
4. Design a unique workout to fit you
If your trainer just puts you on a bunch of machines…and yes, I have seen this, then that workout is not designed especially for you. Those machines were not designed around your body (women, those machines were actually designed for men). They can be used as a minute addition to your workouts, but they should not be the bulk of it. Most important, those machines do not allow the core to be utilized i.e. strengthened. Your trainer should also not give you a “cookie cutter” workout. Pay attention to what your trainer does with his or her other clients. If you see him or her training a 22-year-old male in a similar way as a 65-year-old woman, you might want to find a new trainer.
5. Work within your budget
Personal training is not just for the wealthy. Yes, some can afford to pay a trainer three to four times a week. Yet some can only afford once or twice a month. Ask yourself, what can I reasonably afford? Your trainer should then design a program that he or she can teach you to do on your own, then check back with you periodically to evaluate your form and progress, and change up your workout. You may have to do more frequent session in the beginning to learn the proper form of the exercises, and then taper off, but still meeting on a regular basis. This will also help to keep you on track because someone is holding you accountable.
6. 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!!
7. Mix it up
You should not be doing the same workout every session! You can do that on your own. Your trainer should be knowledgeable about periodization and SAID (specific adaption to imposed demands) the more accustomed your body is at doing an activity, the easier it becomes, resulting in less calorie expenditure. There are also overuse injuries to be concerned about. Your workout should contain variety, and exciting with progression; it is the best way to adhere to a life-long fitness program.
8. Have more than adequate education and knowledge
Unfortunately, there are no standards or licenses for Personal Trainers, yet. Beware; some gyms will hire trainers with NO certifications. Some certifications are more superior and comprehensive than others. Someone can go to a weekend training, take a multiple choice test, get 30% of the questions wrong, and them call him or herself a trainer. Your trainer at the very least should have a Certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine or American College of Sports Medicine. Better yet, in addition to the above, being a Certified Sports and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), which is an advanced and comprehensive certification to address athletes needs, as well as ways to approach exercises for the average person. Do not be afraid to ask if your trainer holds these certifications.
Do not be afraid to ask how well they performed on the exam, or how many times that took the exam. Someone may have to Certification, but only because they received a 70%, the minimum to pass, and took the exam three times. My guess, they did not get all that they could out of the information they were supposed to be learning, and therefore, will likely have difficulty applying it to you and your workout. Look for additional specialty trainings as well.
Some certifications do not stress the importance of core training, how to implement core training, the various postural disorders and how to address them; special needs such as pregnancy, post-natal (from 3 months to 60 years), menopause, osteoporosis, joint replacement, etc. Your trainer should constantly be learning, attending trainings and conferences, and be open to new ideas. If you have a special need such as a hip or knee replacement, pregnancy, cancer survivor, obese, herniated discs, make sure your trainer has additional education to address these specific needs. An ethical and responsible trainer will either refer you to someone else, or seek consultation from a colleague.
9. Be professional at all times
Unlike what you may see on TV, your trainer should be professional at all times. Your trainer should NEVER make you feel uncomfortable. This includes “yelling” at you, or showing other forms of disrespect. Your trainer should also look professional. This includes being well kept, well dressed, attentive, sober, prompt, and reliable. He or she should also not make you feel bad about yourself or “talk down” to you. There are delicate and professional ways to discuss your concerns, problem areas, lifestyle, and postural distortions. If your trainer does not meet your expectations, feel free to communicate this to him or her. If it is not well received, find another trainer. There are too many wonderful professionals out there that can help you meet your goals to help you look and feel your best.
10. Be a role model
This is where things can get a bit tricky. As I stated in my Newsletter on June 8, 2009, people can be at different points in the weight loss program. Some are just beginning your weight loss regimen, some are still in the process, and some have achieved their goals and are in the maintenance stage. Therefore, there are different diet and exercise behaviors depending on where you are with your fitness goals. Therefore, if your trainer is fit, healthy, and works out on a regular basis, just like someone in their maintenance stage, they can enjoy some French fries or a few glasses of wine. That is exactly what I tell my clients who are in their maintenance stage, that they are allowed certain things in moderation. I do not want people to develop fears of food. Someone just beginning their program, I would tell them to avoid these types of foods for the time being.
With that said, some may disagree with me, but I believe that your trainer should “look the part.” In other words, your trainer should be fit and healthy, and not overweight. If your trainer looks like she or he need to loose 15-20 pounds, or more, how are they supposed to motivate you to do the same, when they obviously do not follow their own advice? Nonetheless, your trainer is trying to get you fit and healthy, your trainer should be fit and healthy as well.
11. Get you results!
Yes, your trainer should get you results, but of course, you must do the work. Your trainer must communicate with you what you need to be doing on a daily basis to get you the results and to meet your goals. Even if you see your trainer four times a week, that’s 4/168 hours. Your trainer should tell you what you should be doing on your own as far as cardiovascular exercise, duration and intensity, any additional weight training, and yes, your diet. I knew a trainer that once said to me that she did not care what her clients ate or what they did outside the gym, as long as they showed up for their session. Obviously, she did not care whether her clients saw results. Therefore, your trainer must communicate to you clearly, what you have to be doing.
The second part to that is you need to listen, and do what your trainer asks of you. If your trainer says to do 20-30 minutes of cardio, three times a week, at 85% intensity, then do it, not an hour and a half, once a week at 50% intensity (because that is the intensity you can do for that length of time). When your trainer says not to do only one form of cardio and mix it up, then do it. Do not simply do the treadmill every time you workout. If your trainer asks you to keep a food diary, then do it, and be honest, do not lie, you will only be hurting yourself. If your trainer tells you to stop skipping breakfast and eat something every few hours, then do it.
You need to work as a team with your trainer. You have to be honest with what you are and are not doing. As I stated in 3, follow up assessments should be conducted. They are also used to determine if what you are both doing is working or not working, to allow for changes to your program. You do not want six months to go by and realize that you have not lost a pound.
Another person asked my opinion of acai berry and colon cleaning products they have found on the internet. In my professional opinion, the acai berry is the latest “grapefruit” or “pomegranate” diet craze. I remember them well; grapefruit speeds your metabolism and helps you burn fat. Remember when they put it in pill form where all you had to do to loose weight is take this pill? Yeah, that did not work. It has never been scientifically proven beneficial in weight loss. Pomegranate is a fruit loaded with anti-oxidants, but it was believed to have cleansing and detoxifying abilities to aid in weight loss. Again, it never has been scientifically proven beneficial in weight loss.
The acai berry is it a berry rich with antioxidants. However, I do not believe it is any better for you than a blueberry. One of my colleagues, Isabel De Los Rios, is a brilliant nutritional expert. I have mentioned her quite a bit in my newsletters, and recommend her book, The Diet Solution. This is what she said about Acai Berries:
“Acai Berries are amazing antioxidants and even considered superfoods by several experts. However, they have absolutely zero fate burning potential. Whatever additional ingredients that are in these Acai Berry diets are unknown and potentially toxic. Do you want to take that kind of risk?”
http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/?hop=dpttrainer
Also, be aware, I saw on the news that some websites selling these berries were scams. The companies were offering a money back guarantee; but were charging hundreds of dollars on people credit cards for several months worth, when they have not even finished their “free trial” yet.
If you are looking to shed pounds, a well-balanced diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and lean proteins, in combination with weight training and intense cardiovascular exercise is the ONLY successful plan I have ever seen work. Most important, which is a problem hindering weight loss goal of Mark’s clients, and mine is cutting back on alcohol. Wine and other drinks metabolize as sugars, empty calories, and goes right to the waistline. Of course, there is no simple easy way, and if something claims it is, it is a scam. If weight loss were easy, 66% of the population would not be overweight or obese
As far as colon-cleansing products, unless you have a colonoscopy scheduled, I do not recommend you use them. Primarily, you do not need them; that is what fiber is for. A diet rich in whole grains and fruits and vegetables should give you your recommend amount of fiber per day, about 25g a day for women, 35g a day for men. That, in addition to drinking plenty of water, is the best, most natural and safest way to keep your colon cleansed.
Those colon-cleansing products are marketed towards those who eat a diet high in fat, processed foods, low fiber, so their food is not properly digested and becomes impacted in the colon. A change in diet would be much more beneficial for these individuals than simply continuing to eat processed foods, then to use a product like this, that can potentially disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria and yeast in the colon. Also, regular exercise also assists in moving the digestive system along. Again, your best bet is to eat a healthy balanced diet rich in fiber, drink plenty of water, and regular exercise.
Melanie Mogavero, CSCS, RYT
