Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Venting my Spleen


There seems to be quite a lot going on in the land of Liz lately, the biggest thing that has been brewing has been a dissatisfaction with work/life balance - so these past few months I've been quietly taking stock of what's been happening and made a few decisions. I have decided doing face to face coaching and personal training is not for me - I have hated every minute of the long hours, the cancellations, the insular nature of the gym for a start. On the positive side, I have had some really terrific clients who I'm sure I will remain good friends with who will consolidate the changes they have made under my tutelage into lifelong results. As of this week I am dismantling my client base and seeing one on one clients only on Wednesdays and Thursdays until my contract expires at the end of July. I'm going to continue my RPM classes and am now going to train at Fitness First at Toowong or Jindalee - whatever takes my fancy on the day. So far, Jindalee is winning out. It's lovely and open and it's nice to see the outside through the big windows - I trained there today.
I'm looking forward to doing the simple things - not making the kids get up at 6am for before school care, being able to care for them when they're sick (Miss S was unwell today) , being able to get more sleep and being able to put my own training before everyone elses.
Now to the title of my post ....Venting My Spleen
I trained at FF Jindalee today and was horrified by the types of moves the PTs there were putting their clients through -
for example...a pregnant lady doing dynamic lunges off a BOSU when it was painfully obvious she couldn't do a normal lunge to save her life.
.....a PT watching her client obviously squat improperly
.....a PT vigorously stretching a pregnant woman's pelvis (ouch, and double ouch!)
.....a PT making an obese client do step ups on a platform twice as high as was necessary to execute the move correctly.
and the list goes on........
I think the basic PT qualifications are not enough - there needs to be more standardization across the board - I know some good trainers who have Cert3/4 and have spent time doing more continuing ed, but for most part, I'd be extremely wary of who I entrusted my health and wellbeing to.
The nutrition/diet industry is even worse. If I see another shake or snake oil marketing scam peddled I'll.......... do nothing and go about my non sexy business of recommending sound evidence based nutrition practices and vent my spleen again on another day.
What else vents my spleen? Phishing emails....I must have got myself on a mailing list...am so sick of them...arhg :)

10 comments:

Valley Girl said...

Thats great to here Liz in regards to your decision to make your life less demanding & stress free. your girls will only be small for a little while as we all know they just grow up so fast, and if theyre sick of course they want their mother, & vice verser mum wanting to be there.
Life is to short to be tired & strung out on things that dont matter. Families come 1st oh and so does sleep, it's a must.
Take care x

ss2306 said...

Glad I'm not one of those PT's you're referring to cause I train my clients the way you trained me. Hard but safe!!

And don't get me started on shake diets or I'll end up in a furious mood.

So glad you're putting yourself first and making your life much easier and more enjoyable.

Kerry W said...

I'm with you on the 'types of moves' PT's put their clients through Liz.

Now, I'm not a PT and I don't claim to know that much about exercise science, but after having injuries myself, and having had PT's, the last straw was when I signed up last year at the gym and was given one of their 'included' PT programs. Even after telling them my particular injuries, the program they gave me was crap! They have no idea about 'individual differences', or about injury rehabilitation. Suffice to say, that even with my current programs done by IBO (which are fantastic and they do take into account individual differences and injuries), everything I do is screened and approved by my physio, first and foremost.

Oh! and the phishing emails...it must be something lately because they are driving me nuts!

Sorry...it was supposed to be your vent, but thanks...I feel much better now. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Liz, don't comment much, but learn lots, a definite lurker. I was inspired by your post. I used to go to a 'girly' gym starting with 'F'. I'm not going to criticise them outright, as going there got me enough confidence to go to a mixed gym now.

However the one thing that really annoyed me was what I call "Drive through PT". I would have had 5 or 6 PT's in about a 6 month period, they kept leaving (as they were treated like crap) and my workout as an overweight 80kg woman - was the same as a 120kg woman, and a woman that was of normal weight, so was everyone's in between. Surely we all had different goals, some fat loss, some fitness, some just getting used to going to the gym for the first time.

Yep I know my gym of choice at the time was probably more about making money than really caring, but...

I've had two PT sessions at my new gym as part of the sign up, and was very disappointed with the 'program' written for me. I had been squatting 60kgs & on the incline leg press my PB was 157.5kgs! But I was given squats with no weights, just where my bum hit the plynth!

Luckily I have a friend who is a PT, who I met through 'F' and who has since left and has her own business. She pushes me more than anyone does, and I want to work hard for her. She also overseas my weights, OMG DOMS for sure...

Sorry to hijack comments, as I say I mostly lurk and learn, but your post really hit a nerve today, thanks for sharing.

Fifi said...

Wow, big decision Liz, but sounds like you've really thought about it. It's hard when the kids are still young. I'm sure you'll love getting some of your life back!

Nicole said...

Yep - I'm with ya Liz. I was at a gym and this young dude was getting this older lady to do the plank but looked more like a downward dog yoga move and getting her to 'hold' and then proceeded to stretch the poor woman and thought he might snap something eeek! Good to hear you are getting some more balance :) Nicole xx

Anonymous said...

Liz
Totally understand this post. I am not renewing my PT contract with FF when mine renews in Sept either. I have realised my heart and soul lies in Group (I teach RPM, Pump and now CORE) While I love a select few of my PT clients I resent too the hours, cancellations etc etc I am also often stunned speechless by some of the moves I see new PTs often young kids really - getting their clients to execute. On more than a couple of occasions I was moved to go find the PTM and get him to have a word as they were accidents waiting to happen...
Loraine

Flea said...

Yeah!!!!! I so absolutely agree with you!! I am working f/t and some days wonder what's the rush all about, concerned about my poor baby who needs to be always 'dropped off'

I was only a PT for 1 year and said never again, I hated the industry just as much with all the cancelations, seeing them in the foodmall eating bad food etc and I thought what a waste. I also thought the cert isn't enough and enrolled into Uni and said to myself also never will I go to a PT with a cert qual only .. only a semester at Uni was enough to confirm how silly those certs really are. I mean I'm not even half as qualified as you but I even saw stuff and thought what the?

I will never recommend it either, rather if someone is really that passionate to go spent the time and money on a degree or make sure where you learn from is the best not a rush course over a few weeks.

I hope your new plans brings you lots of pleasure, go for it!!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm might be a theme with PTs from FF. The PTs at a FF here in Dubai sound very similar and are very out of shape as well!

Lisa said...

Great choice - I love it! See you tomorrow.

Lisa