I would like to commend Amanda Vogel on her article “Weighing in on The Biggest Loser” which was recently published in the IDEA Source Magazine.
The article was informative and she did a good job of presenting both sides of the story. I, on the other hand, don’t need to be so diplomatic
I think there should be a disclaimer at the beginning of the show that states “This show is for entertainment purposes only. Both the participants and the personal trainers depicted are not real.”
I disagree that the show has been wonderful for our industry and “given personal training more exposure.” Unprofessional, uneducated and negligent behavior might be entertaining and the show might purport to promote health and fitness but it is not the portrayal of personal trainers we need to gain legitimate respect in the health care profession. A previous fitness reality show with personal trainers had the owner, a personal trainer herself, “making out” with one of her employees. Although this might get ratings, it does not show us in the best or most truthful light.
It was also very interesting how AFAA evaded the certification validation issue. They are a business and know free advertising when they see it. I would love to question either of the trainers on anatomy, biomechanics, physiology or joint structure and function. Now that would be some entertainment! It just might be as fun as questioning Kristie Brinkley and Chuck Norris except they, at least, don’t profess to be personal trainers. It’s a shame the show chose personal trainers with very little education or experience when there are so many deserving fitness professionals. Don’t get me wrong. It is not the trainer’s fault. They are merely taking advantage of a great financial opportunity.
I’ve always contended that the Biggest Loser insulted and intimidated the exact demographic it intended to inspire. The Australian Study included in Amanda’s article confirmed my suspicions. I’ve always felt empathetic or embarrassed for the contestants as they were forced to stand bare-chested or in a sports bra before a national audience and then be voted off the show!
Last night I couldn’t sleep and was appalled at how many fitness infomercials there were promising fast results with little or no effort or promoting the idea that weight loss can be achieved by eating anything one desires. It should be illegal to make such negligent claims. Look at where this mind-set has gotten us.
Anything that appears on television is somewhat glorified or accepted. The Biggest Loser plays into this type of mentality. In my opinion, this show lowers the benchmark as to what is acceptable in our society. With the current health care system dragging us into economic ruin, the benchmark should be raised not lowered. We should be spotlighting people who, despite life’s trials and tribulations, have managed to keep a healthy body weight and fitness regimen, not people who have consistently made bad health decisions!
How far is the entertainment media going to go in order to caricaturize personal trainers just for the sake of TV ratings and what does this say about the American public amused by such unrealistic situations? I like to watch Spiderman and Batman but I know they are not real. The public needs to know this is not real and, although it is frustrating, sometimes it is up to us to enlighten them. Good job Amanda!
ARE THEY KIDDING?
I thought the Today show was supposed to be informative? In this case, they were borderline negligent when it comes to what they said.
Let me review the products:
Thier trainer is not an expert and a Health editor, please……
Not trying to be mean, but it’s similar to getting financial advice from someone who edits financial news. They’re an editor not an expert.
Let me on there and I'll give them a real review............
Competing at the Huntsman Senior World Games
By: John Platero
Every state has the senior games which are held through the National Senior Games Association. You have to be 50 years old to compete. The top two places qualify to compete in the National Senior World Games held every other year. The next National games will be held in August, 2009 in the San Francisco Bay area.
Almost 10,000 athletes registered from 20 different countries to compete in this years Huntsman Senior World Games in 25 different events.
Road Racing
Hill Climb
My first event was the Hill Climb. I met with my friends Mike Lukich and Cathy McNamara who are both past World Champions the day before to try out the course. The course was deceiving. The first mile was pretty easy. If you weren’t careful you would go too hard. The second mile got steep and the third mile got really steep. Almost 12%! It was important to save something for the last mile. I did it in 14:47. Last years winning time was 14:22 so I had to do something special. The following day was beautiful. I warmed up for an hour and did three, one minute intervals to open the legs. I went as hard as I could and won my first gold medal with a time of 14:31. I only beat the guy in second by 13 seconds! Everything I did to prepare was important. The weight loss, altitude training, etc, all made a difference. It had come down to seconds.
Opening Ceremonies
Went to the opening ceremonies at Dixie Stadium. Thousands of people. It was really neat. The entertainment wasn’t very good, but it was exciting to be a part of it.
Time Trial
This was a 40 kilometer course. Not my favorite distance. I prefer the 20k. There wasn’t any flat ground at all. You were either going up or down. The road surface wasn’t great and it was windy. I won my second gold by only 31 seconds with a 57:58 time. Again, 31 seconds isn’t much over that distance. The disc wheel, my position, the sow-up tires and everything else I did made a difference. My average heart rate for the 57:58 seconds was 96% of my Max heart rate. Can’t do too much better than that.
Criterium
We raced 30 minutes basically around a city block. However, it was more of a triangle. Kind of hard to explain. You go round and round for thirty minutes. During the race they ring a bell and give away prizes. These are called prime laps. I won the first prime. On the second prime I attacked after the first corner and got a great gap. The volunteer marking turn three assumed I knew where the turn was and didn’t wave the flag so I went straight off the course! I get to the next corner and it seemed unfamiliar. I looked to the right and saw the pack about a block away! It took me two laps to time trial as hard as I could to catch back on. Needless to say, I didn’t win that prime. With the bell lap to go, one guy went too early, but we caught him coming around the last corner. I hit the afterburners and out-sprinted everyone to win my third gold medal!
Road Race
This proved to be a close race. The course was a 36-mile loop. After studying the map and asking Mike, Cathy and some other racers, I was told the place to attack was at a hill called “the wall.” They said I would know it when I got there. They were right. I attacked hard at the hill and got away from everyone. My heart rate went the highest it had gotten al week. 176 bpm. There was still 18 miles to go so I put the hammer down and motored as fast as I could. Unfortunately, within 4-5 miles, four guys caught me. Yikes! About 5 miles before the finish line the course went down the Hill Climb course we had done three days before. I don’t particularly like descending that fast with a bunch of people so I hammered to the corner of the downhill to descend alone. One guy stuck with me so we descended together. There were some speed bumps which we “bunny-hopped” and on the last mile where the hill flattened out a little the guy made a deal with me “ let’s work together to stay away and you can win.” I had beaten him the day before in the criterium so it was a good for both of us. I said “right on,” and off we went. At the bottom we made the right hand turn towards the finish line, but with about a half mile to go they caught us again. Shit!!!! Now it was down to a sprint between the five of us. Here’s where you need nerves of steel. Someone went and got a pretty good gap, but I felt the gap needed to be closed by someone else. We were still a little too far away. Just like I thought, another jumped to close the gap, but I could tell he was in too big of gear and I knew he would blow up. I jumped on his wheel and in the last 50 meters flew by him to win my fourth gold medal by a few bike lengths! He wasn’t too happy. Since I won all four events, it made me the overall winner in cycling for my division. Not bad for my first Senior World Games.
Mountain Biking
I went to the course to practice but forgot my cleats and it was cold and raining. I did the hill climb and the downhill course anyway with my dog. It was his first mountain bike ride so I think he enjoyed it more than I did. Gnarly course. Went back the next day when the weather was much nicer and rode the cross country course twice, the hill climb and the down hill Loose dirt, boulders, red rock, loose gravel, single track and some steep steps as well. I’m glad I practiced the course. The hill climb course actually starts downhill for a bit before it goes up hill and the down hill course has three sections where you must pedal uphill.
Hill Climb
Woke up to a very, very windy, cold day. Unfortunately, I had no clue on how to set up my bike. I think I had too much air pressure and my tires were worn down because I crashed hard on the downhill section of the course. I actually launched from my bike. Landed and rolled, got a mouth full of dirt, got up and went back and got back on my bike. I lost the gold by only .14 seconds. Crap! I would have won if I hadn’t crashed. Got a deep cut above the medial side of my ankle. The paramedic cleaned it for me, but it really swollen and hurts. I got the silver medal though.
Down Hill
The wind was like a cold knife at the top of the course. After the hill climb we had to wait for a while. I changed into my full length leathers from my motorcycle days for the descent. It was probably a mistake because leathers are not made to pedal in. I lowered my seat all the way and went for it. Had to come off the bike twice on the way down. I was restricted by the leathers to pedal and jump. On the last little climb, my back tire spun out and I had to get off the bike to run up the hill again! In retrospect, I shouldn’t have worn the leathers. After all that, I still ended up with a bronzer, losing by only .54 seconds.
By now my leg was really swollen. I took Advil every four hours, iced, compressed and elevated it. I needed to be better by the next day. As long as I placed in the top three in the cross country race I could possibly win the overall, which would make me the overall winner in both the road and the mountain biking
Cross Country
The swelling in my left leg had gone down considerably so I wrapped it with ice. I was really motivated to win today. I got the lead right away but washed out in a corner a few times and the #1 guy passed me. He was a better technical rider. Although I kept putting my foot down and had to come off the bike a few times, I was able to keep him in my sights. There were two long flat sections at the end of the course I felt I could catch him for the finish. Fate intervened and I flatted at the beginning of the last lap. I had bought new tires the day before so I had problems getting the tire off and on. I broke my tire iron trying to get the tire back on which meant I had to take the tire off again to find the piece of plastic. AARGH! By then my adrenaline was down a little and the leg started to hurt. I finished anyway and since I had been so far ahead I got the bronze.
Total medals:
4 Gold in Road Racing and overall winner in my division
1 Silver in Mountain Biking
2 Bronze in Mountain Biking
Arrival
I arrived on Saturday to Innsbruck, Austria. The weather was perfect. As you get off the plane the view of the mountains is stunning. The mountains that provide the backdrop to the runway must be at least 10,000 feet high! It’s a relatively small airport so you actually deplane on the runway and walk to the terminal. The winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck twice; in 1964 and 1976 . You can view the ski lifts and the ski jump from the plane as you approach the airport.
My brother and his friend Grant Potter were already at the hotel but were out cycling. I had been up almost 27 hours and needed to crash. Went to bed around 5pm and woke up the next morning around 7am. Unfortunately, the weather turned bad and it was cold and rainy. The airline crushed Grants bike so we all rode to a bike shop where Grant bought a new bike. Although it was cold, we were so psyched up we rode the course a couple of times anyway.
World Cup Race
The next day was a World Cup race. It was a chance to ride with some of the competitors on the same course I would be facing in the Worlds two days later. The course is challenging with eight different hills which are 5-9% grade. Each lap is about 20 miles. We did two laps. The speed was fast, but I only hurt twice during the race. At the end of the race I was unaware of an 8-man break that had ridden off the front and thought I was sprinting with the bunch for the win. The cyclist directly in front of me overshot the last corner and almost crashed which caused me to slow down. You definitely don’t want to slow down anywhere near the finish line. I sprinted as hard as I could and finished 15th in the group.
By now, the quaint little town of St. Johann is over run with thousands of cyclists from all over the world. There is live entertainment every night in the town center and my room is almost right over the center. A little hard to sleep but the races don’t start until 1pm so I can sleep in until 9:30. Breakfast ends at 10am so I don’t want to miss that.
Time Trial
Wednesday is the time trial. Everything goes wrong. I ride my TT bike to the bike shop to adjust the shifting which the mechanic does. On the way to the course, my water bottle cage comes loose; I lose the screw that holds it on and have no place to carry it so I have to hide the cage in a bush. My front brake starts to screech really loud like a monkey. It hasn’t made a sound all week! As I step into the start house (which is the ramp they hold you on to start your race) a man points at my chain and it is about to come off. I try to put it back on but the entire drive train is stuck. I have 30 seconds to fix it, so the man helps me get it on. About 7 kilometers into the race, I shift, but my chain drops. I try to put it back on as I’m riding but the drive train is stuck again. I keep trying but resolve to the fact I’m going to have to stop. Once I slow and stop, I can’t get the darn drive train to move. I finally get it going, jump back on the bike only to have the chain drop again, however this time the chain is jammed between the small chain ring and the frame. I stop again and it takes both hands to yank the chain out. I’m now pissed off and full of grease. Jump on the bike and take off again, adrenaline pumping but now I’m just disgusted. Not the emotion I wanted to have as I approached the hardest part of the course; the hill right before the turnaround. I blow up on the hill, crawled through the turnaround and slowly got going again. I really just wanted to stop and throw my bike in a field!
The only redeeming event of the day was Grant got 7th place with a flying time of 25:28! The guy is at least 40-45 pounds heavier than anyone close to him. I don’t think he’s human.
That night we went to dinner with some American cyclists, Fred, Reno, Kenny Fuller and his girlfriend at a beautiful restaurant in the mountains with an incredible view. The weather was perfect and we were able to eat outside on the veranda. I’ve been racing with Kenny for years but never had the opportunity to hang with him. Incredible guy. He has been a National Champion 35 times, 2- time Olympian in 1972 and 1976, 4-time World Champion and is the most humble likeable guy you’d ever want to meet. He won the 20k time trial that day and set a new course record of 26:13 at 60 years old! WOW!
Road Race
Road the World Championship road race today. Big pack, very aggressive and really fast. I tried to create a breakaway before the climb on the second lap but, no one else came and I couldn’t stay away alone. I paid for it on the climb but managed to stay with pack and moved up on the descent. An 8-man breakaway formed on lap two which I tried unsuccessfully to catch a couple of times. In the last few miles, four guys tried to bridge to the 8-man break. I thought they might have a chance so I busted my hump to bridge up to the four guys. That one hurt. They sat up because I ended up towing the entire pack to them. In the end the break stayed away. In the bunch sprint there was a crash in the straightaway. Luckily for me I finished safely in the pack.
All in all I rode 380 miles, climbed over 11,000 ft of which 40% of that was racing. It’s approximately an average of 60 miles a day, 1600 ft of climbing in 3.5 hours a day in a beautiful setting surrounded by 4000 other cyclists. Not a bad week.
I keep reading these articles about third party accreditation or raising the "standard of credibility" for personal trainers. Are trainers making too much money? Are they working too little hours? Too many benefits? Are they hurting people? I think they aren't even asking the right questions.
1. Who is asking or demanding some kind of standard of credibility? As far as I know or have seen, there aren’t any members, clients, parents, teachers or politicians writing letters, complaining or demonstrating with signs outside of gyms demanding “higher standard of credibility” for personal trainers. As far as I know, the only people or organization “making waves” in a form of a request for a third party accreditation is IRHSA. I would bet that most members never heard of IRSHA. IRSHA is a fine organization but to my knowledge has never run a personal training department, written a personal training manual or exam, have reviewed certifications nor trained people for a living. Even if the member did ask for a certification, I don’t think they would know the difference between NASM, NFPT, ACSM, NSCA or NCCPT.
2. Why aren’t there articles for “standards of credibility” for group exercise instructors, Pilates instructors, martial artists, indoor cycling, yoga or for that matter, the people who watch the member’s children while they work out? I would gather that all the previous groups I just mentioned affect or come in contact with more people than personal trainers and, I would also gather that with the lack of assessments performed before any of their participants engage in these activities probably account for more acute and chronic injuries than personal trainers cause. How about accreditation, certifications or “standards of credibility” for sales people or management?
3. Why would personal training want to be a part of the allied health team? The system is terrible. In the clubs I managed we would fulfill 2500 sessions a week in just one location! If there were just a 1% error in the system, that would result in 25 customer service problems each week from one location! I am currently fighting with Blue Cross over reimbursement for services I received from a physical therapy clinic in January of 2006! The health care system is so messed up, the physical therapy clinic I attended sometimes has to wait a year for reimbursement. When they didn’t receive it from my insurance company they passed the bills on to me. Mind you, they passed them on to me a year later! I’ve documented six phone calls over a period of four months to Blue Cross and each call I’ve been promised I would receive information on my checks in 7-14 working days. Still nothing. You can imagine how many prompts I had to wade through just to talk to someone.
4. What is the standard? Certification professionals often interviewed define the purpose of certification as establishing a “baseline of competency,” “protect the consumer,” “apply the best science possible,” etc. All fine and dandy, except it’s difficult to find a standard. A person with a degree in English literature, horticulture or mathematics qualifies to sit for the NSCA CSCS exam, but an athlete, coach or personal trainer without a degree who has been competing and training for 10-20 years cannot. How’s that for a standard? Who would monitor the standards? Have you read some of the different certification materials? Although there are many commonalities and great information, some can’t agree on the definition of abduction, range of motion, sets and rep protocols, static stretching, periodización and, it goes on and on. Most of the science has been done on “gym exercises.” With the “functional training” exercises we see now, do these sets and reps still apply? Most large facilities and trainers are performing half hour sessions. How do you perform rest periods of 3-5 minutes between each set in a 30-minute session? I just read a study on static stretching and it’s affect on lowering force production. Is that bad or is it good? Does the average client who wants to feel better and lose 10 pounds care about losing .2 seconds in their 40-meter sprint?
5. How can we increase the compensation, benefits, career path and decrease the amount of hours a personal trainer will have to work to make a decent living? If the average personal trainer earns less than $25,000 a year, how can we expect them to pay for more education? Remember, standards aren’t free. It costs to establish, monitor and employ standards.
6. Qualify the person being interviewed? When interviewing anyone regarding certification these questions should be t asked “How many new people do you meet a week, a month or a year wanting to be a personal trainer?” “Can you describe the average person looking to become certified?” What are their demographics?” “How much money do they need or want to make?’ "Do you hire or interview trainers?" What are their goals or dreams?” “Are you certified?” “How many certifications have you personally experienced?” “How many of their manuals or materials have you personally studied?” “Of the certifications you’ve recommending are you aware of how often they update their materials?” If they can’t answer these questions then they aren’t qualified to comment. This is a new field. Personal Training has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. Did anyone hear of Curves five years ago? Stability balls, medicine balls and foam rollers were not the mainstay 8-10 years ago. Most chains didn’t even have a personal training department 10 years ago! There might have been floor trainers, but in 1998 the profession was different than it is now.
7. What is a successful personal trainer? Is it financial? I see many popular trainers with a full client load who aren’t scientifically sound at all. Are they changing people’s lives for the better or the worst? Is Richard Simmons certified? How about Billy Blanks?
8. Does certification or a college degree make a successful personal trainer? Todd Durkin, who you can tell is in the trenches, had the best quote “certification makes up less than 50% of what gets the candidate in for the second interview.” I wish he would have said certification or higher education. Although doctors, lawyers and English literature majors are smart people and have obtained much education, I’m doubtful that many of them have trained clients for a long period of time. Personal trainers might never be required to acquire as much education as a doctor but then again, there are “good doctors” and “bad doctors.”
The truth is, it’s America. It’s great that we have all these organizations to learn from. The NASM curriculum is much different than NSCA. The NCCPT is much different than ISSA of AFAA. This is capitalism at it’s finest Competition creates better products and variety. We should have options and it’s up to the student to educate themselves on an organization before they purchase their products, regardless of whether it’s a certification, trade school or a college. The clients should have options to choose the best trainer for them, regardless of the acronym at the end of their name or the lack of the acronym. An employer should have the right to decide on whom to hire for the same reasons. In my opinion anyone who has taken the time to educate themselves through a certification, trade school, college, the internet or the library has made a move in the right direction. Regardless of the piece or paper in their hand it’s the consumer or the employer’s responsibility to interview wisely, perform a back ground check and to perform their due diligence before allowing a personal trainer, salesperson or anyone to represent them. This responsibility and accountability for all of our actions exists when purchasing a gym membership, personal training or a roof on a house.
Personal training is a service business not unlike, auto-detailers, landscapers, massage therapists, hairdressers, waiters, bartenders, chefs, housekeepers, mechanics, doctors, attorneys, accountants and on an on. You get what you pay for and pay for what you like. Believe me, if a woman likes her hairdresser she doesn’t care if they have a license or not. When was the last time you asked your massage therapist or hairdresser for their license or where your bartender or mechanic went to school? Can a massage therapist or a bartender hurt you? Sure can, if you let them.
It is very difficult to standardize an art, and in my opinion, personal training is more of an art than a science. If a trainer purchases a certification and someone hires them, likes them and gets results, where is the foul? Personal trainers aren’t making supplements or hiding ingredients in their exercises. However, a client needs to ask questions. They are accountable for their decision in hiring a good trainer or a sub-standard trainer. Ultimately, a degree, certification or any piece or paper doesn't guarantee success. Look at all the marriage licenses that end in divorce. Regardless of how much a trainer paid or studied for their certification or degree, it is the consumer’s responsibility to decide on whether to purchase their services or not. If they don’t educate themselves on how to do so, then shame on them or shame on the company that presented the trainer to their customers. That’s what insurance and attorneys are for.
The focus should be on the facilities and their compensation for personal trainers and, more importantly, the basic education our children receive in regular schooling. It would have been highly beneficial if I had learned about my joints, muscles and how our bodies move in high school so I could make better decisions when exercising, getting a massage or hiring a personal trainer. It might have saved me from the four knee surgeries I’ve incurred in my life.
Personal trainers are studying to become certified or degreed from a variety or colleges and certifications, waking up at ridiculously early hours, working late into the evening, getting people into shape, preventing a host of diseases, motivating and caretaking for their clients for very little money, no benefits in most cases without any guaranteed work schedule. I’ve never met a more empathetic group of people. Could we give them a break?
Maybe next article?
When I’m at conferences, workshops, conversing or observing other trainers I hear them say “I’ve been training people for 20 years or I’ve got 20 years of experience.” Most often I’m impressed, but sometimes when I ask questions or observe them train, it seems obvious they don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. In fact, they probably have one year of experience and repeated that same year 10 or 20 times.
I have a company that certifies personal trainers and all my instructors have to pass an instructor exam. It surprises me when I see a person with MS or PH. D at the end of their name who can’t answer the questions for the exam. Is this a problem?
It seems the personal training industry is gearing towards accreditation from “higher education” or a college degree. However, once you obtain your degree, there is no requirement to maintain your knowledge as opposed to certifications which expire; therefore the person is required to continue their education to maintain their certification.
Since this industry is fairly new and information continues to change rapidly, colleges may be using text books or training manuals that aren’t up to date. In some cases I’ve seen information that is erroneous and in some case dangerous. Printing costs can run into the hundreds of thousands so many texts are not updated in a timely manner. In general most people who have college degrees are pretty competent, but I’ve also met some self-taught, not-degreed, non-certified trainers that are avid learners who are also very knowledgeable.
Don’t get me wrong. College and higher education is fantastic, however, like any other industry there can be “good doctors” and “bad doctors.”
My advice is to whomever you choose to hire or consult, make sure this person attends workshops, conferences or some additional education since they’ve obtained their degree or certification. Try and educate yourself as to what questions to ask. It’s no different than buying a new roof for your home. You’re ultimately responsible for who, or what you choose.
Take note of a trainer that has obtained all of their education from the same certification company. Most certification companies focus or emphasize a certain aspect of training. It’s important for a person to be exposed to other views from additional educational organizations. People are different and the human body is vast. No one will know it all and sometimes “20 years of experience” can actually be limiting.
The desire and passion to learn and the ability to change to keep up with the latest information and techniques are the most important aspects I look for when hiring a trainer or instructor. I would rather have a person with zero education and the desire to learn then a Ph.D. who thinks they know it all. Then again, at trainer with a burning desire and zero knowledge of joint structure and function could be helping you to contribute to the orthopedic surgeon BMW fund. J For me, empathy or the sincere desire to help someone is just as important as knowledge.
Every day is a new “experience.” Try and approach each day with an open mind. The one thing you can count on for sure, is change. My Mother used to tell me “your mind is like a parachute, if it doesn’t open it isn’t worth much.”
Now, that’s wisdom.