At my local gym, most of the trainers there appear to consistently have no clear plan or structure.
Last week I saw one do the same session with two clients in a row. (I was there for nearly two hours due to all my foam rolling and rehab work not because I trained for two hours!)
A coach, on the other hand, will never take a training session, one-on-one or group, without a definitive plan, specific to the individual, who has been thoroughly pre-screened, and part of a long-term structure.
Too often I see personal trainers in public gyms with no program on hand, getting clients to do movements in no way suitable for them, and with no clear plan for long term progression, just inflicting damage and intensity just for the sake of it. And yes it makes me cross!
Now we only have ourselves to blame for this — social media, reality TV shows and the industry itself has somehow set expectations that unless you are vomiting in the bin at the end of your session then it wasn’t a good session.
It can be unfortunately considered something to be proud of, by the client and the trainer alike, for that vomit moment or not being able to walk the next day because their legs were so sore, a battle scar of sorts.
Of course, this all has zero to do with long term change and adaption something a coach knows well and will never sacrifice for the sake of the Instagram moment.
As a collective, the personal training and fitness industry need to be doing a better job of removing these pointless training expectations— ‘getting smashed’ for the sake of it — and provide a greater education on the importance of periodised structure and how adaption actually works for humans. We will be left with a far healthier population in general, and happier clients who achieve long lasting positive change.
So on that note, train hard and expect success!