From the conversations that I heard at PT school I knew that the majority of students were expecting to qualify, earn big money, drive flash cars and own big houses. And maybe if you want to apply for coaching jobs at a Premier League football club then you can do. But there’s another way and it would mean selling my soul. I have seen popular PT’s doing it throughout my career and, to be honest, it’s not something I could bring myself to do.
They’ll go easy on their client’s legs and core because, let’s face it, legs DOMS hurt.
During the consultation phase of the trainer/client relationship it often gets brought up by the client that they hate squats and deadlifts citing that it sometimes hurts their back. When I ask them to perform a squat or a deadlift, 9 times out of 10, I can see why it hurts their back. They’re doing it wrong. In fact when I observe most of the members doing a squat or a deadlift it hurts my back just to watch them. And the majority of these members are male.
Rather than address this issue, knowing as a PT that these essential compound movements would massively improve their chances of success (whatever the client’s goals), they avoid them. Sometimes, a PT won’t put their client through something that they are uncomfortable doing because they want to retain the client. Avoid deadlifts, instead let’s pump up the nightclub muscles (biceps) for an hour. Keep the client happy.
I’m all for keeping a client happy. They are happy when they feel themselves getting stronger. They’re happy when they discover new skills. They’re happy when they achieve new PB’s and they’re happy when they see results. Sometimes, it means coming out of their comfort zone. But I won’t blow smoke just so they don’t leave me. My clients WILL have to squat and deadlift.
You’re wanting to lose a few pounds? Ok let’s squat.
You want to lose some belly fat? Ok, let’s squat.
You want to run a marathon? Ok, let’s squat.
You want to exercise to help you through depression? Ok, let’s squat.
Linford Christie had his student sprinters perform squats before their sprints in training. If they could get 13 seconds after doing a 100 squats, imagine what they could achieve at the Olympics. Team GB aren’t too shabby. They’re doing something right.
The issue with squats and deadlifts with men mostly (in my experience) is their inability to activate their gluteals as easily as the women do. Females spend much more time training their glutes in search of a rounded arse. They might give 10 minutes to a cable facepull towards the end of the session but the first hour is often leg dominant. Of course, the men want a broad back and rounded pecs so that’s their dominant area. They’ll sit on the leg extension machine for a few reps so they can say they trained legs.
Ladies love the weighted bridge, AKA the hip thrust. And they’ve every right to. They work. Which is why I will prescribe these for my male trainees. Not only do they help with the everyday functioning of the body, but they give you a good arse. They might not look cool for men to do unless it’s body weight bridges in the stretching area, but as long as we get glute engagement I’m happy. When I go into the free weights section and start laying down, thrusting myself at a barbell the strange looks I get is amusing. But I’d happily enter a ‘best arse’ competition with them. I’d win.
So I’m not the coolest PT. I don’t perform the go to exercises to pump the biceps up for a couple of hours and I wouldn’t do that with my trainees. But I will perform the exercises that keeps me at a healthy weight, that cures my sciatica and makes me stronger. I’ll perform exercises that will enable me to get in and out of a bath unaided when I’m 80.
And not only will I be independent at 80, but I’ll have the best arse at Evergreen Manor Lodge Care Home.
Never Give Up PT 