3 Questions Any Legit Trainer Should Answer Easily

 Walk into any large indoor sports complex and I guarantee that you will find some sort of SAQ or Sport Performance program.  Search online and you will find any person who was ever fast or big and they will give you their expertise for a price.   When I started this business 10 years ago, I could count on my hand the number of Strength and Conditioning businesses in Central OH.  In 2012, I can't count on my hand the number of Strength and Conditioning programs within 10 miles of me!

On top of that, more and more high school sport coaches are now providing strength and conditioning programs for their athletes.   I have heard of everything from popping in P90X DVDs to hiring sound Strength and Conditioning coaches.   I give any coach credit for taking time to try to help their athletes get stronger and faster.   Not all families can afford expert training and as a result the coach has to have something in place at the school. 

I am not saying this growth is a bad thing  - it definitely means that the fitness industry is growing by leaps and bounds.   However, there are a lot of pretenders out there.   A LOT!!!!  

I will give you a very simple analogy. 

I used to play baseball and I was pretty good.   I know how to hold a bat and swing it.   HOWEVER, I would be flat out stealing money from clients if I started giving hitting lessons in here.   Why?   Because I am a Strength Coach, not a Baseball Coach.

The opposite also applies.   There are a ton of coaches/trainers who were great athletes, ran fast and used to lift weights.   They have bench pressed and squatted before.   But, have they performed over 10,000 hours worth of research in the Strength and Conditioning field?

  In my opinion, ANYONE who is in charge of supervising lifting and conditioning sessions is a trainer.  It might not be there full time gig, but if they are training athletes a few times a week, they are a trainer to some degree.  

How can you tell if your trainer is legit?    Here are 3 very simple questions that any knowledgeable strength coach or trainer should be able to answer with ease.

1.   What is your warm up?

Acceptable answers:   Anything that has to do with mobility and elevating body temperature or heart rate.
Unacceptable answers:    Nothing,  jogging, static stretching or they are already warm from open gym 

A good trainer has a very sound warm up system.   If they can't tell you about it, they don't have one.

2. What is the template for your program?

There are a lot of right answers here.    It could be as simple as Upper body on Monday, Legs on Wednesday  and Total Body on Friday.   Whatever it is, the trainer should be able to lay it out for you and demonstrate balance in program design.  The template should allow for progression and will include a combination of strength and explosive exercises.   Here are few things to look for:

Upper body pulling volume should at the very least equal pressing volume.

Sets and reps should change from week to week.

There should be a progression of exercises that are rotated every couple of weeks.

There must be posterior chain exercises  (butt, hamstrings).

Here is an example of a typical dry erase board workout I have seen in a lot of high school weight rooms.

Bench 3x10
Lunge 3x10
Chin ups 3x10
Curls 3x10
Dips 3x10

This workout is not bad, but it would be if it was your workout every Monday for 8 weeks.   Anyone, and I mean ANYONE can write a workout on the board for 30 kids to follow. 

3.  How to Assess Squat Technique

The squat is a crucial exercise.   Do it correctly with the right amount of weight will most definitely lead to increases in speed, strength and power.   Doing squats with shitty technique will lead to weakness and probably aches and pains.   It is that cut and dry.   A good strength coach will tell you exactly what they look for when watching an athlete squat  (back flat, sit back, push knees out, breathing, ect).  They also know the progressions to take with a young athlete who struggles with their squatting.    A pretend trainer will allow mediocre or shitty technique to slide over and over again.


 I have said it before, Quality reps breed quality athletes.    Shitty reps breed..........


If you are concerned about the level of training your young athlete is receiving either at school or in a private setting, try asking these questions to the coach or trainer.   Don't look for elaborate scientific answers.   Do look for confident answers that make sense and show knowledge.    If they can't answer these 3 questions, they are pretending!