Resolutions With a "Why?"

Earlier today at my gym I witnessed a man in his 50's working out with a trainer.  He was performing goblet squats with overhead presses using a kettlebell.  It appeared that the trainer was timing his client to see how many repetitions he could perform in a set period.  After a few reps, I heard the trainer say, "Come on.....I want your hips to bend more.  I want you butt down by your knees when you squat."  His client dutifully pressed on, no questions asked.

It's the beginning of a new year, and with that comes the inevitable spike in resolutions to get in better shape.  I'm all for that.  But the purpose of this post is to remind you that it's perfectly okay to ask your trainers, "Why" when they ask you to do a specific exercise.  After all, you're probably paying anywhere from $60-150 a session for the privilege of having someone make you sweat.  Don't be afraid to question the exercises you're asked to perform though.  In fact, I would think that the first thing that a good trainer would ask his/her client prior to commencing a program would be, "What are your goals?"  I would also hope that the trainer would put their new client through some sort of movement assessment prior to working them out, in order to determine that individual's red, yellow and green lights on the road to improved fitness.

I have no idea if the trainer in the above situation had already screened his client.  Perhaps he knew that his client possessed the requisite ankle, knee, hip and spinal mobility and motor control to squat deeply.  But if not, then asking him to "get deeper" in his squat with a weight in his hand doesn't make much sense.  Perhaps a better approach would be to work on a competent squat technique with no load first, and then load it up once that's achieved.  My guess is that it's the rare client who would stop to question their trainer.  The reasons for this may be myriad:  1) The trainer is the expert, and therefore "knows best"; 2) The client's ego drives them to finish the task, no matter what; 3)  The client is paying by the hour, and doesn't want to take time to discuss the "why".  These are just a few reasons why a trainer/client relationship may not reach it's full potential.

Again, I'm all for folks resolving to improve their levels of fitness.  But I also want people to do what's best for them, rather than simply following the latest exercise flavor-of-the-month trend.  It's your body, your time, and your money, and you should always feel comfortable asking the "experts" tasked with keeping you healthy, "Why?"