Tuesday, August 08, 2006
While working out the other day, I overheard a conversation between a trainer and his client. The trainer was some overdeveloped, muscley type. His client was maybe in his late 30's to early 40's. I had noticed them working together but mostly because the client kept grabbing his knee and flexing it. The trainer would demonstrate an exercise (for example, a lunge) but barely being able to execute it himself. He would then ask the client to "give it a try." With very little direction from the trainer, the client would attempt what he thought was the exercise, stop after three reps, grab his knee, and kinda laugh while saying "sorry, my knee problems."
After about two more standing leg exercises (which included the same amount of direction from the trainer and the same reaction from the client), the trainer finally sits the client on the floor to show him a quadricep exercise that does not involve direct pressure on the knee joint. The client says that this is better. So what does the trainer do? Put him on the leg press.
So, who's to blame here? The trainer for lacking the brain power to realize that any type of excessive upward or downward force on the knee joint is causing pain? That perhaps, what this client needs are leg exercises that apply a lot less than the client's body weight? Or is the client to blame for not stopping the training and asking the trainer why he insists on having him do exercises that put a lot of pressure on his obviously weak knee joint?
Here's the thing: I would like to blame the trainer for not having the knowledge to make proper decisions. After all, it is his job to know how to deal with such issues. And if he can't, it his job to find someone else who can. But then, I think about the client and his inability to just stop the whole process and take control. Look, if I was in pain and my trainer continued to put me in situations that exacerbated the pain, I would stop and find someone else who could deal with my knee issues.
I guess, what I want to know is: when did we stop taking responsibility for our actions? Later.
After about two more standing leg exercises (which included the same amount of direction from the trainer and the same reaction from the client), the trainer finally sits the client on the floor to show him a quadricep exercise that does not involve direct pressure on the knee joint. The client says that this is better. So what does the trainer do? Put him on the leg press.
So, who's to blame here? The trainer for lacking the brain power to realize that any type of excessive upward or downward force on the knee joint is causing pain? That perhaps, what this client needs are leg exercises that apply a lot less than the client's body weight? Or is the client to blame for not stopping the training and asking the trainer why he insists on having him do exercises that put a lot of pressure on his obviously weak knee joint?
Here's the thing: I would like to blame the trainer for not having the knowledge to make proper decisions. After all, it is his job to know how to deal with such issues. And if he can't, it his job to find someone else who can. But then, I think about the client and his inability to just stop the whole process and take control. Look, if I was in pain and my trainer continued to put me in situations that exacerbated the pain, I would stop and find someone else who could deal with my knee issues.
I guess, what I want to know is: when did we stop taking responsibility for our actions? Later.
Comments:
<< Home
I really think it's the trainer who's at fault here. He is certified and the client is not; he is being paid not just to know better than the client what exercises will strengthen him but also to know better than the client how to keep him safe--the latter even more than the former, in fact. If the trainer kept insisting that the client not stress his knee and the client kept doing leg presses and insisting he was fine, then I would say anything that happened to the client was his own fault. But how is the client supposed to know the difference between, say, the pain of soreness from effective exercise, the pain of lactic acid buildup, and the pain of a torqued knee?
Post a Comment
# posted by 
: 4:20 PM
: 4:20 PM<< Home
