9 Personal Trainers Dish on What Annoys Them Most
Whether you go for a tough love workout or the rock climbing gym, use an app that’s basically a personal trainer on your phone or opt for the real deal, we all know that getting a killer workout in can boost happiness levels and give us more energy to get it done. But the truth is, some days the gym can be a sanctuary and other days it can be a total torture chamber — for you and your personal trainer. We talked to nine personal trainers across the country to find out what we do during our training sessions that annoys them the most. And let’s just say, they did NOT hold back. Read on gym rats.
1. Fake food logs: “My biggest pet-peeve is when clients lie about their food logs,” said Tara Lynn Gillfillan, a personal trainer in New York City. “Not only is it detrimental to our results when working together, but they’re only lying to themselves by not being honest with their diets. Abs are made in the kitchen — not the gym!”
2. Not being mentally prepared: “I absolutely cannot stand when a client doesn’t show up mentally ready. That means that they aren’t willing to give 100 percent, are lazy and have a bunch of excuses. You gotta want to be transformed. That comes with no excuses,” said transformation specialist Corey Calliet.
3. Screen addiction: “My biggest pet peeve is when a client pulls out his or her cell phone in the middle of a training session. If an important call is coming through, I understand, but I’ve had clients pull out a phone to check Facebook or Twitter. Not only is it rude, it’s doing a disservice to their training. I often ask repeat offenders to keep their cell phones in a locker or their cars,” said personal trainer Joe Kekoanui.
4. Being solely focused on weight, not other improvements: “It’s disappointing when clients base the success of their training experience solely on the scale! There are countless reasons to exercise regularly that are profoundly more important than that goal weight,” said personal trainer Lisa Hassock. “Don’t get me wrong… it is absolutely necessary that my clients create very specific health and fitness goals, and weight loss may be one, but the most successful clients reach deeper than that. I generally track body fat percentage, resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, cardio endurance, core strength and other physical fitness metrics to show their progress despite what the scale does.”
5. Thinking exercise is a punishment: “My biggest pet peeve is when people view exercise as a punishment instead of a positive, enjoyable experience. I think more people would enjoy exercise if they focused on finding things they enjoy, like group classes, sports and dance lessons, rather than doing exercises they hate,” said personal trainer Henry Halse.
6. Not mentioning injuries: “My biggest pet peeve is when clients don’t tell me about pre-existing injuries, because it’s a huge safety issue. I’ve had women tell me AFTER a class or private session that they’re pregnant. I could easily provide modifications for them, but without prior knowledge, there’s no way to gauge exactly what’s going on with their bodies,” said Scarlett Redmond, yoga advisor for the Clothing Shop Online.
7. Going rogue: “My biggest pet peeve while training is when clients make up their own exercises in the middle of a session,” said Mohamed Elzomor, personal trainer at the Core Club.
8. Wasting time: “My pet peeve is people that waste their own precious time during a class. Talking to friends or hanging on their cell phones shows they aren’t dedicated. It’s a mindset. You’re either serious about being and doing your best, or you’re not — it’s as black and white as that! Take it seriously… it only takes one hour of single-minded determination to bring out the best in yourself,” said Shane McLean, ACE certified personal trainer.
9. Ignoring their diet is the main factor for weight loss: “My biggest pet peeve is clients that don’t pay attention to their diet and expect all the weight loss or strength gains to come from their 1-2 workouts a week with me. Weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent lifestyle and fitness. So clients that train with me then go to McDonald’s after their session as a reward just defeat the purpose,” said Meghan Kennihan, USA Track & Field coach and personal trainer.
Tweet us your gym pet peeves @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)