I am not one to mince my words. Nor am I one to publicly criticise other trainers on an individual / personal level, but sometimes I despair at the quality of many of my so-called peers. In every profession there are good and bad, but it seems that in the personal training industry, especially here in London (the market that I obviously know the best) we are beset with absolute muppets who are utterly bereft of intelligence, scientific understanding, and plain old common sense.
I have written on many occasions that good personal training is both a science and an art – you need the book learning and the real world training skills. Charles Poliquin himself commented that one distinct advantage that I have over the other trainers and coaches he knows here in the UK (and he knows a lot!) is that a good part of my own knowledge and ability to transform my personal training clients comes from having done it all myself for many years, and continuing (and constantly experimenting and thinking about the best ways to progress) to do it “on myself” with zest and passion.
Of course its not just about the in-the gym experience, as crucial as that may be. Its also about the learning. The reason for this particular blog entry, and the lovely “personal trainers or personal muppets” title, is that I have just read the most flabbergasting bit of tripe by a so called, self proclaimed “good” London personal trainer. In one section of his website he flags up his ongoing interest in research and staying at the forefront of the personal training industry. One initially presumes that scientific nutritional, training, and regeneration studies would always be at the top of his reading lists. And how does he do inform us that he stays at the forefront of things? Does he continue to study and travel all over the world learning from the best as all the top trainers with whom I am familiar do? Does he read research journals and scour Pub Med? Nope. He goes on f***ing MySpace and You Tube…and brags about how this is his source of “continuing research”! I couldn’t make this up even if I wanted to, so below you will find a section I have cut and pasted straight from his website. The name is taken out because I want to save the guy the total embarrassment he deserves.
“Continuing Research: ***** keeps familiar with the latest developments in fitness by reading the requisite industry publications; but also by web-researching. It’s on You Tube and My Space that the world first comes to know who’s pushing the boundaries of fitness training. Whether it’s mad capers in a monkey-bar gym, kettle-bells, or park our fervour: ***** is watching the trends.”
And this is someone who charges people their hard earned money in exchange for his advice?! It beggars belief.
I hope, pray, and wish fervently to the Lord above that anyone visiting my own personal training website would realise that the approach we take at Ultimate Performance is the polar opposite of this muppet’s.
Nick Mitchell
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