Personal Trainers: The Good, The Bad, And The Sometimes Ugly

A qualified and good personal trainer can help you build a great body, enhance your health and build self-confidence. But a bad trainer can cause more harm than good.

A good personal trainer will seek to enhance your strength, performance, endurance and flexibility, according to celebrity trainer Radu Teodorescu, also known as Radu, who has been in the field for more than two decades. "With personal training, someone makes sure you're doing the exercises right, realizing your full potential and making progress," he said.

Radu further adds "training can help some people change their behavior, develop character and build confidence."

But it doesn't come cheap. You're likely to shell out $75 to $300 dollars an hour, up to three times a week. Before you sign up, make sure the trainer is qualified. Poor training can result in permanent injury or make an existing orthopedic condition worse. "If your potential and individuality are not accurately analyzed, and if you are not taught in a scientific way, you can get hurt," said Radu. "Some trainers give the same program to everyone, and that can be dangerous."

Dr. Riley Williams, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, issued another warning: "If you suffered an injury and need someone to help you with rehab, it should be a physical therapist, not a personal trainer, and you should be under a doctor's care."

"The problem is that some personal trainers are not taught to deal with medical injuries," he said. It's not uncommon for people to come to him after their trainer had them do multiple exercises or an activity that exacerbated an injury, said Williams, who is affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

Shoulders, knees and backs are most prone to injury from improper training regimens.

"If you're interested in personal training and have a problem or injury, first see a physician," advised Dr. Stephen O'Brien, a sports medicine specialist at the hospital and former assistant team physician for the New York Giants. "Make sure everyone is on the same team from the start."

It's a good thing a personal trainer called physical therapist Mickey Levinson to consult about a client. The 60-year-old female client had a rotator cuff shoulder injury, and the trainer wanted her to do bench presses. That type of exercise would have predisposed her to re-injury, said Levinson, a clinical supervisor at the Sports Medicine Center in the hospital's rehabilitation department.

"To find a qualified trainer, look for someone with background in physical education or coaching," Radu said. "The trainer should look at you as a whole person not in terms of inches. You should like the trainer and feel comfortable with him or her."

When embarking on a program, people who haven't exercised much should begin slowly, do things in moderation and know their body, sports medicine experts say. If an exercise or activity causes pain, stop immediately.

In choosing a trainer who is qualified and knowledgeable, you should ask your sports doctor for a recommendation. Personal trainers have much to offer to the public as they promote wellness, fitness, and overall healthy living. But it's not a good idea to choose a trainer based upon magazine features, the Yellow Pages, or other public relations items. Check with your sports medicine health care professional to avoid becoming a statistic.

Comments

[loebner]

Check out: http://exrx.net for a wealth of information.

I am 65 years old, and I am in great shape. I can carry my bags when I travel, lift them onto the overhead racks, etc.

I have observed a number of PT's. They train you to be helpless without them.
_a. They pick up the weights and hand them to you then put them back after you are done.
_b. They adjust the machines for you.
_c. They play a different "game" each time that requires their presence (eg "lift the weight up to the height of my hand", "catch the ball that I am throwing to you").
_d. They wipe the bench after you use it.
_e. They listen to your problems and tell you theirs.
__1 (However, I as talk therapy it is better than sitting in a chair or reclining on a couch, so if that's you need, I would recommend a PT rather than a counselor)
*****
Here are a few rules that work for me:
_a. I started out slowly and worked up to heavier weights.
_b. I use dumbbells. Each hand must do its own work. Also, I don't need a buddy to spot me as I would if I used a barbell.
_c. I only do ONE set of between 8 and 15 repetition for each muscle.
_d. I only work out AT MOST twice a week.
_e. I lift the heaviest possible weights I can until exhaustion. Then I rest for 9 minutes until the next set/exercise.
_f. Whenever possible, I choose exercises that keep my palms facing each other.
_g. I eat about 3 oz of protein 1 hour before working out. I eat either ground raw beef (eg steak tartar) or ground raw lamb (eg kafta neyeh - a Lebanese dish) I grind the lamb or beef myself, so I am not too worried about bacteria - I would not advise using store bought ground meat) I have been doing this for years, with no problems (hey, people are getting sick from raw spinach, lettuce, onions, etc)

[shael]

gyms, trainers, fancy equipment, its all moot unless you have the modivation. desire, common sense and a small space is all you need to take you there.

[situationcritical]

Here's what I don't understand. People at my gym (Crunch in West Hollywood), hire trainers who hold 5 minute conversations with them between reps. FIVE MINUTES...­ridiculous­.

To boot, the trainers wear loose clothes that give no indication of wether or not they themselves are in shape.

Part of getting fit is inspiration and visualization. Don't know about you, but I ain't inspired by a trainer who just sits as I work out, and I am not inspired by someone who hides their body because they have a gut.

[dadw5boys]

You can buy a book for $10.00 on Physical Education and make your own program.
It is the number of time you do an excerise not the amount of weight you lift or the lenght of the run or the speed you run at.