Bad day at the gym

[rkold]

So I went to the gym today, was feeling good cause I burned 420 calories on the ArcTrainer plus I moved my Tokyo Delight last night and this morning instead of looking all sad and droopy it looked perky! I decided to do some weights cause I feel like it really helps and when I skip weights I don't see as much improvement in my overall shape. I did the bench press, one of the knee things kosquarepelli showed me and then moved onto the Lat Press. Originally, the first trainer I had showed me one way to do the lat pull down. It was OK and didn't do that much. Then another trainer showed me a slightly different way which involved tilting your torso and instead of just feeling it in my arms and shoulders, I got a lovely stretch in my abs. I've been doing it ever since then like that and have been rather pleased. Today trainer #3 stops by and is all, no no no you have to do it ANOTHER WAY. He assures me that he knows and the other trainers don't WTF is the gym hiring crap trainers? o_O So I do a few of his new fangled ones for him, not feeling anything in my abs, which he claims is because I'm tightening them, but ummm well even if I tighten them I just don't feel anything, nope, sorry. He's all smilie and being all friendly and I'm feeling more like I just want to leave. He then is asking me about my gym goal, which is of course to be a size 8, at least on the bottom, and now I am getting his nutritional lecture. Now call me crazy, but I thought the goal was to find an eating plan one can live with for good, rather than just temporarily changing your diet just to hit a goal? Then he is going on about the need to eat protein, and all I can think is great, he's one of those Protein diet people. ~.~ I explain nicely I am a vegetarian, and don't eat meat, for which I get asked do I eat fish or poultry. ~.~ Do I now need to tell people I don't eat animals? I don't eat anything someone might consider a pet? ~.~ He starts recommending protein shakes which immediately has me wanting to leave. So now I feel like I can't use the lat pulldown which I really liked cause I want to go back to using it the wrong way since I felt like I was getting results that way. Or the wrong way according to him. I hate that now I feel like I need to make sure to do weights when no trainer is around so I can do what I want. Sighs.

Comments

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

Considering that they are supposed to be there to help you, can't you just tell a trainer to go away if they are bothering you?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I don't know, it's somewhat off putting. I might though in the future, I mean I am paying to go to the gym, it's not like it's free. I just tend to not be that confrontational unless someone pushes me too far. >>;

[twotone]

A few thoughts:

Wow, this guy sounds really pushy, even if he is smilie and friendly. Is there some kind of customer service person you could contact? Even if he is "just trying to help you", it seems totally inappropriate of him to tell you to eat more protein and recommend protein shakes. What is he, a salesman? If he really *does* mean well, I think it would be good for him to learn that there's a time and place to push your nutritional religion on others (example: if someone ASKS for nutritional advice :p) Plus his bosses should probably know that he's bad-mouthing the other trainers. Not good business practice!

You shouldn't be afraid to tell trainers to go away, especially if they're making you feel uncomfortable. Just firmly and politely thank them for their help and ask that you be given a chance to work out on your own, without anyone to make you feel self-conscious. (Hopefully a line like that would remind them that they don't want to get slapped with a sexual harassment suit, and make them back off.) (Of course, that might not work if it was a female pushy trainer. :p)

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

I'd say that maying you too uncomfortable to use something you're paying for is a rather strong push.

[mec]

He asks a vegetarian if she eats fish or poultry? Isn't that a bit...pointless?

*grr* This trainer sounds like such a nuisance! You shouldn't let him get in the way of you exercising the way you want, though. It's your body, and if you've found something that works for you it's for *your* benefit, not his.

[thundermew.livejournal.com]

Tell him that your physical therapist designed your current method of using the machine, and to change it would be harmful to you.

[sporkkunoichi.livejournal.com]

Sorry but... he sounds like a moron.
>_>;;

My sister's a vegetarian also (and works out), So I understand completely. just tell him your nutritionalist designed your diet and you aren't going to alter anything without speaking to them first.

and that you don't need any help using the equipment. >_>;; that worked pretty well at the last gym I went to.

[mec]

*commenting from work*

Well, it looks like Shinjuku Washington is off the cards, unless you had better luck with reservations than I did, so before I go extending my stay in Ikebukuro, do you have plans for your non-Odaiba stay?

[rkold.livejournal.com]

No, it's not for me. >>;; luckily it's not really an issue again until Thursday.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

It's just very hard because I feel like they're supposed to know more about the machines than me. But on the other hand, my arms ache today and usually they don't after using the machines. ~.~ Today is not an arm day, especially since I plan to plant my new lilac tomorrow and need to be able to dig.

I personally have a huge aversion to eating or drinking shakes instead of meals. I feel like it gets your body in the habit of eating fewer calories and is just not healthy in the long term. *sighs*

He probably felt like I was asking for advice since I've not seen the weight loss I want. I personally think it is just harder to lose weight as you get older and the longer you have it cause it does not want to come off.

I'd like to think though that going to the gym has made me look better at least and not quite so fat.

I admit, I know it's not meant to be sexual, but I also just felt uncomfortable when he wanted me to touch his back to see how the muscles move. I am happy to be snuggly and touchy feely with friends and people I know well, however I don't like to touch or be touched by others.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

One would think! ~.~ I'm starting to think I might have to say I don't eat anything someone might have as a pet/insects, or I don't eat animals.

I really liked the improvement the other trainer before him gave me since she seemed to know more about women's bodies being you know a woman herself. ~.~

[rkold.livejournal.com]

XD;;

I probably should have. Blah. Hopefully when I go on Thursday he won't be there and it won't be an issue.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

He was all pushy and a part of me thinks he is a bit sexist cause when the GUY said he didn't need any help he didn't insist on showing him the proper way to do something.

I don't like the way he showed me, I'm now all achey when usually I am not. Luckily the strength training I am doing today there is no other way to really do it.

I mean I might have been rocking a bit too much but I liked getting the added abs work out and while maybe I was not working my shoulders and arms as much, I'd rather have better abs than anything with my shoulders since they're broad enough as is ~.~

[twotone]

how about the classic "If it has a face or a mother, I don't eat it" line?

[twotone]

Hmm, sounds like it probably was sexism in that case. What a pain!

I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, but I would definitely look into letting his bosses know about him. It's not a good sign that he badmouths or pooh-poohs the other trainers' advice to you, ESPECIALLY if he's turning you off of trainers in general. That's gotta be bad for business.