question for wilson6

[rasta]

I noticed in your post showing your client, that you said she enlisted the help of a sports med. doctor. I was wondering if, due to being in the training circle, how I would go about finding a physician/nutritionist to help me with my diet and help me set some goals. I would also like to find a trainer who has had experience preparing someone for a show. Although I have tried there doesn't seem to be any around. I live about 40min from downtown Atlanta. Any advice on how to locate help?

Your time is greatly appreciated

 

[wilson6]

That seems to be everyone's question. Finding good docs and trainers is hard. There is a lot of arrogance in this business as well as those who are simply out for the money. I look at some of the competition around me and wonder why some of their client’s continue to train with them when their physiques change very little over time. If you even suggest that they try something different, they become upset and accuse you of trying to steal someone else’s business. The real problem is that many competitors can think for themselves. If something isn’t working, then there is a problem. Just because someone has an M.D., Ph.D., or has been (or is) a pro bodybuilder doesn’t make them a good trainer or dietician. I continue to learn myself what works and doesn’t work and the responses are variable from client to client.

I believe that getting input from several different sources is important, but then have one person distill everything down. If that person insists that his/her way is the only way, then find someone else. It always amazes me how some competitors latch on to someone and listen to only that person. They discard everything they learned to that point and put all their faith in one trainer or doctor. Big mistake in my opinion. This is especially true when a competitor becomes romantically involved with the person training them. They become blind to reality and their physique suffers.

My suggestion is to continue to learn and find several people via word of mouth and referrals that can help you. The key is to get to know those in the inner circles that can give references to those that can help. I can't believe that in major metro areas there aren't docs and trainers that can get the job done. The docs will always keep a low profile because they don't like the attention that bodybuilders bring to them, but the trainers should be easier to find.

W6

 

[Sassy69]

There is a lot of arrogance in this business as well as those who are simply out for the money.

I agree with this 100%. You can spend a lot of money to find out that all you've done is spend a lot of money. I've even seen excellent results from other clients of one trainer I chose, but I ended up having a miserable and very costly experience. I think I've spent almost as much trying to recover as I spent for the training..... At the end of it all, I decided that you need to educate yourself as much as possible so you can pick out the bullshit when you see it. And run like hell when you have a trainer who won't deviate from "their way", because the same methods cannot be applied across the board. Especially if its a guy trying to train a lady.

But its very hard especially when you are gettign started because it does take easily up to a year to really be prepped for competition and also for the trainer to get to know your body and how it responds to diet & training. Its all a very slow process so you cant' really go around and "sample" trainers.

The other frustrating thing is that even if you think you understand a particular concept or training method, you ask different trainers for what their comments and you will get a completely different answer every time. So now you don't know who is right. Then if you say, "Well, this trainer said this" -- and the response is "That trainer probably doesn't have the right background., etc etc etc". So not only have the opinions you've collected completely disagree, you can't even determine who is really qualified to give you a good answer because they all shit on each other.

(the above are just my opinions based on my brief experience in the comp world)

As far as docs, I went to my trainer's doc and he ended up prescribing fentermine for me (one of the variants of the doomed phen-fen period that was not outlawed). The next doc I went to see was very strange and appeared to be hitting on me. The third one I went to see, who was also recommended, ended up leaving the firm he was with before I could complete my appt with him. Its VERY hard to find a doc that is useful and knowledgeable about health/nutrition and particularly sports.... If you know any. please let me know! LOL!

 

[MS]

Wilson6-that was the most eloquent and accurate summary I've ever read on the topic!

 

[wilson6]

You need a new trainer and you are overtrained.

W6

 

[Sassy69]

Spatts --- that sounds an awful lot like my last trainer experience -- I trained hard & heavy and with lots of forced reps. I have all sorts of tendonitis problems as a result. If you honestly aren't a whiner, your trainer should listen to you when things hurt and adjust accordingly. Tendonitis never really goes away so if you are forcing a lift that you really can't do in a balanced way, all you are doing is aggravating the situation. At some point you will be forced to drop your weights when the pain gets to be too much or even have to just stop. I used to be able to push out some serious skull crushers-- like complete sets at 65 lbs - now its practically crippling to do 30 lbs.

I had asked if there was some logic behind the weight sequence and never really got a straight answer. I also tried numerous times to record my workouts or get my trainer to record them for me (I do this in my own workouts so I know where I last left off or what I did last time in case I want to switch it up alittle) . It always seemed like there wasnt' enough time between sets / exercises to record the weights/reps or the trainer would forget or whatever. Ultimately I started suspecting he was doing that so I was basically dependent on him for my workouts. Like he was trying to doing it for "job security" LOL!. Hate to say it but I was suspicious of many things my last trainer did and when I asked about things I didn't get straight answers, but I figured he knew what he was doing -- just trust and wait to see the results. Well, $$$ later, I entered a bb comp 4% too fat, completely burnt out from overtraining and pretty well fucked up since.

If your training isnt' explaining why things are being done the way they are, either he/she actually doesn't know or istrying to make it look like this magic thing that they do that will require you to continue paying for their services that you will not make gains without. If you can't get straight answers, either run like hell or MAKE him/her explain, so you can understand the logic behind it. I always used the reason that if he/she had to miss a training session, at least I could follow the program on my own.

This was a very costly lesson for me. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isnt'.