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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be angry at personal trainer?

15 replies

StapleYourTongue · 28/07/2019 20:36

So he always dismisses me when I say I’m in pain and he think I over think things,

We were doing leg presses and he kept adding 3 more to my reps (after my initial 12) and then I had to literally shout at him no and he was even pushing down on the machine making it heavier.

That was Friday and my knee is still in pain.

OP posts:
ColaFreezePop · 28/07/2019 20:38

Sack him and get a different personal trainer.

HypatiaCade · 28/07/2019 20:38

YANBU, but I think it's time for a new personal trainer. This one is not listening to you.

Fatted · 28/07/2019 20:41

Get rid.

He probably hears people saying they can't do something a lot, and is probably thinking he is being helpful encouraging you to push through etc. But you really need someone who understands your injury and who has a similar attitude to you.

PooWillyBumBum · 28/07/2019 20:43

That’s not normal, get rid.

Mine pushed me to my limit but never beyond, and always put my well-being first.

MrsTerryPratchett · 28/07/2019 20:46

PTs are like counsellors. You need the one that suits you. Some people like peppy, some hardcore. This one is wrong for you. And sounds like a twat.

TanyaChix · 28/07/2019 21:07

Get rid. My PT is alert to ANY pain because exercising through it can cause serious damage. It’s really not the same as muscle fatigue and your PT shouldn’t be a trainer if they don’t know something this basic.

Pipandmum · 28/07/2019 21:10

Just stop if you’re in pain. I think PTs are used to people saying they can’t do something and they want you to push yourself. But you are in charge and you can stop at any time.

Bumply · 28/07/2019 21:12

My PT is always sensitive to me showing or saying I'm in pain.
It's good to have someone who can push you to more than you'd do on your own, but not if it causes pain.

BIWI · 28/07/2019 21:44

This is a difficult one. A PT is there to push you and make sure you're building up your strength and not just doing the same things over and over again! And it's very easy to protest when you're training (been there, got the t-shirt!)

If your knee was hurting at the time, then he obviously should have stopped. But you said it's hurting later. This makes it more difficult, as it might not have been an injury at the time, just you complaining!

Have you contacted him since your training session to tell him this?

Any trainer worth his/her salt would be upset that their training regime with them has caused you pain. And they should make sure that any further sessions avoid this exercise/muscle area.

adreamofspring · 28/07/2019 22:19

Sack him. There are loads of PTs out there. Just like with therapists or hairdressers - you’re free to take your business elsewhere until you find someone you click with. You need to trust them. It’ll get in your head that the next time he pushes you it might cause another injury. Find someone you respect and who respects you.

SanusVivere · 29/07/2019 13:04

Hi StapleYourTongue. It's a strange one, as you haven't specified what pain you were in during the exercise. However, your PT sessions are certainly not supposed to leave your joints hurting, just muscles soreness. I am wondering if your PT is qualified, insured and registered. If not, then get rid immediately! Unqualified means they only know what they're told and don't know how to adapt, which will mean they're not insured so if you do get any serious injury, you're out of pocket, this will mean they're not registered with any PT body, so no accountability for standards or continued education.

Yes, PT are supposed to push you're physical workout boundaries, but in a safe way that is good for your body. If your PT knows you have knee trouble/injury but still overworks the joint, then for your own wellbeing, get rid. I say this as a PT myself

LordEmsworth · 29/07/2019 13:57

I'd be asking him for his insurance details so I can claim for the physio needed to repair the damage he's done, frankly.

My PT pushes me hard but would never tell me to work through pain, teaches me to listen to my body, sometimes tells me to back off a bit to protect myself, and always listens to me when I say that something's causing me pain or discomfort. Sometimes it's good pain but knee pain is never good...

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 29/07/2019 14:03

There’s the kind of pain you get from pushing your limits, and the kind of pain that means something is wrong! And your PT should be able to help you recognise that difference and to stop before it leads to injury. What a numpty. Agree you need to find a new one

dollydaydream114 · 29/07/2019 15:03

A good personal trainer will know the difference between the pain of exertion (eg muscles burning when you're doing squats and lunges or lifting weights) and the pain of injury (eg joint pain or shin splints). My personal trainer will tell me to 'push through it' if my muscles are burning, but if I say 'That's really hurting my knees' or 'I can really feel that in my lower back' he'd switch to a different exercise or make adjustments to take the strain off joints etc. I probably say 'F*ing hell, that hurts!' at least twice a session and my trainer knows I can still work harder, but if I say 'Hang on, I can feel my Achilles pulling...' he'll get me to stop.

Similarly, it's really normal (and positive) for your muscles to be aching like hell for a day or two after a really tough session. That's how you build new muscle and tone up. But it's not normal to have a swollen knee or ankle or any sharp pain that feels like a localised injury.

So, I think it probably depends how you express the pain you're in. 'Ow, it hurts, I can't do it,' is something I think most trainers would expect you to push through - it is their job to push the client, as that's how fitness is improved. But if you said 'Hang on, I think I've injured my knee' then that's a different matter. Your trainer should be attentive to any potential injuries, but equally he won't be able to read your mind.

Of course, if you're not comfortable with him or his training style, absolutely do find someone else, though, regardless of the injury/pain issue. You do need someone you feel comfortable with and can trust, and sometimes it's just a matter of finding someone with the right personality. My PT is really positive and gives his clients loads of praise, which works well for me, whereas my friend prefers to go to a terrifying woman who literally shouts at her like an aggressive drill sergeant.

hazell42 · 29/07/2019 15:22

Some PTs are great, some distinctly less so.
I remember a friend being absolutely distraught when the man she paid her hard earned money to, told her, 'You're not fit to get fit.'
My friend had had a very difficult relationship with food, and her weight had ballooned and it took all the courage she had to walk through the door of the gym, and then one moron who fancies himself as a kind of Sergeant Major makes stupid remark, and set her back 6 months
It took ages for her to get up the courage to try again. And when she did she went to a female only gym and found herself a very supportive PT who listened to her and encouraged her and made her proud of herself

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