The SECRET to Get ANYONE in Shape
I cannot understand the mentality of most personal trainers. They all think that there is some magic formula, secret sauce, special way of getting the best results. Now, I will admit that there are some components which are necessary and some which are unnecessary and that is what separates the good trainers from the great ones. Here is what I can tell you with certainty, if you train with a top notch strength coach, you WILL get results. Will they do everything the same? NO, but that is what makes us all unique. Everyone will have you squat or some variation thereof, everyone will have you push and pull in the frontal and sagittal planes. This is not rocket science and the human body has not changed all that much in the past million years from a physiological perspective.
What would we do if doctors did not want to share information with one another? Research would come to a halt, innovation would cease and diseases like mumps and polio would run rampant. Sounds like a pretty cruel scenario, but thankfully this is not the reality for the medical community. Unfortunately, it IS the reality in the fitness community. The more I talk to trainers, the more I scratch my head. There are many who think that there is some “secret formula” to achieve goals and obtain results.
Trainer 1: “I do back and shoulders with my clients.”
Trainer 2: “Oh, wow (Trainer 1 is an idiot)…I do back and biceps with my clients.”
Unless both of these morons are training people for the 2020 Mr. Olympia then, they are both WRONG!!! How about I blow the roof off of the entire fitness industry!?!?!?!
Here is the SECRET way to get ANYONE in shape, no matter what their goal is:
1) Move around
2) Train in all planes of motion
3) Push / pull, rotate and move sideways
Stop overcomplicating everything!!! I don’t give a crap about bosu balls, agility ladders, dots, cones or any other gimmicks, they are IRRELEVANT!!!
Sorry, this is NOT going to get you into great shape, maybe a trip to the hospital.
Upper Body
Vertical (Above Shoulder): Push (overhead press), Pull (Chin up)
Vertical (Below Shoulder): Push (dips), Pull (Deadlift)
Horizontal: Push (Bench Press), Pull (Back Row)
Lower Body
Push (Back/Front/Hack Squat), Pull (Hip Press)
What about lateral movement?!?!?! Do some side shuffles, run around, play sports.
This applies to 99.9% of the population. Maybe if you are an Olympic athlete or you are a professional athlete, you need something more in depth, I agree 100%, but for everyone else, it is not more complicated than that.
There are very few personal trrainers that actually know what they are doing, makes me sick. This pic is a prime example, this trainer probably took some 4 hour class and now he is an expert. What a scam this is. Been a high school track and CC coach for 25 years and get people who run a 5 hour marathons and 60 min 10ks telling me how to train elite runners. (Have coached 12 State Champs, 30+ All State runners) Same thing in the so called personal train ing world. Why do we feel we need to have these cookie cutter exercise programs like cultfit, P90X, etc. etc. I teach my athletes why we are doing what we are doing and that everyone is different and has different needs. It goes back to people need to be told what to do and have NO clue on how to think for themselves or have NO discipline to find what works for them. Sad!!
Monty
I agree, it is the blind leading the blind!!! People thank me when I tell them why we are doing a particular exercise and the muscles worked; as if I gave them some proprietary knowledge!!! You have the right attitude and thanks for doing the right thing and teaching the right way.
LOL I cannot believe a trainer has his client doing that exercise. Looks like a lawsuit to me!
Great article. I firmly believe in compound exercises that work more than just one joint. Makes me sick when I go into the gym and see big, strong guys staring at themselves in the mirror while doing curls admiring their biceps.
That’s when I love to embarrass them on bench press, deadlifts, or pullups! Ha.
Thanks Ken.
I had a martial arts teacher who told the me secret was that there is no secret, there is only practice. Those movies and ads that invent secrets are just gimmicks for people who want to avoid putting in the time and sweat.
And I rarely find myself in a gym with personal trainers who are stronger than I am. Only once, and the owner was a retired bodybuilder.