False Idols

Labor Day has been pretty good. I ran 4 1/2 miles this morning. And this afternoon I ran 20 x 20-50+ meters at Pepper Park Beach ( beach entrance to shore and back) on :45 intervals. This evening I'll dead lift  ( maybe 185 lbs) and either military press or do kettle bell get ups.The morning run was 36:48. Not my best but could have been worse. But remember, like I said in the previous post, my main concerns are getting the technique down ( head up, lean from the ankles not the chest,etc.) and running softly with a fore/mid foot strike, thus avoiding injury. My pain level was about 2 in the morning and maybe a 1 in the afternoon ( although my feet were roasted on the hot sand!).
One of the things that differentiates me from the majority of trainers out there is working with people for their own needs as well as at their own pace, at least in the beginning. Yesterday I read an article by athletic trainer Eric Cressey cresseyperformance.com. It was about his conclusions on a popular gym chains form of training, especially for baseball players. It was an even handed article. I also had some of his conclusions. This gym encourages tough, intense but brief workouts.He felt while it was good for some people ,for baseball players ( the majority of his clients, including the Boston Red Sox) this program wasn't for them.His main criticism seems to be about the potential for shoulder injuries , which is already a big problem in base ball. He also felt ( as do I ) that technical moves such as Olympic weight lifting ( snatch, clean & jerk) shouldn't be practiced in a fatigued state, at least not each workout.
At least this gym has many good workouts and does condition you. Many popular gyms, along with their trainers, throw totally unconditioned people into unsafe, ridiculously tough workouts right from the start. Note that while these workouts are hard that doesn't necessarily mean they're productive. They also make unrealistic goals. You know, lose 100lbs in 3 months, enter a marathon in 2 months, become a black belt in 4 months,etc. TV has numerous examples. Jillian Michaels and The Biggest Loser come to mind. 1 episode actually took all the contestants to Marine Boot Camp in Camp Pendelton, Calif! Putting these people in 75 lb ruck sacks , having them climb up steep hills,etc. is criminal. TLC's L.A. Ink had an episode where tattoo artist Kat Von D wanted to enter a marathon for some charity along with her brother. I saw the trainer ( who herself looked like she could use some work!) tell Kat that sure she'd them ready in what, 2-3 months!Remember, Kat's also a well known party animal, her only workouts being Marlboro and Budweiser/Jaeger shot curls! And we're talking a whole marathon, 26.2 miles! I've been running on and off for 10 + years and I still haven't done a full marathon. Remember, longer distances makes your chances for injury go up dramatically ( although with proper preparation you can minimize it). Thank god Kat and her brother chose not to enter.
Because of these trainers people have a wrong expectation. 1 lady I worked with was disappointed with my step by step workout. She was 70+, no athletic experience, overweight. I started her with an 8 brocade chi kung warm up ,then had her dead lift a water jug and military press 5 lb dumb bells. I guess she expected to jump around and sweat on the first workout like Curves. This attitude goes to other physical activities.I see it as a lifeguard. I remember when I first became a lifeguard, I also taught swim lessons.One of the parents was disappointed that I went step by step( swing your arm over your shoulder, blow bubbles out your nose and mouth,etc.) with her 5 or 6 year old. Remember, this is the first lesson.She withdrew her son , telling the pool director, someone told her that you should throw a child in the water 10 feet away from the edge of the pool and make them swim back to the deck! I laughed and told the director whoever told her that is full of s***He laughed and said in the future explain to parents that the Red Cross doesn't believe in the sink or swim method.
There are people who understand about step by step. A future Marine I'm working with is in great shape but needs help with his swimming. I'm starting him on learning how to float and tread water.We'll worry about laps as he progresses. But there's no point about worrying about swimming underwater if he can't even tread. He understands that.That my friends is a guy who understands how to improve and hasn't swallowed the bs from the false idols and their instant success.