TikTok and Instagram are full of them. So is YouTube. Suggested workouts are understandably incredibly popular, a free and accessible alternative to personal training, right? Wrong. Read on to find out more…
I’ve said it already – suggested workouts aren’t an alternative
The clue’s in my job title: personal trainer. My workouts for clients are bespoke. Yes, there are a few formulas I use, because there’s absolutely no need to try and reinvent the wheel several times per week, and I work with clients who are looking for similar things. But – and that’s a Big But – they are all unique, because you are.
You will only get one guaranteed thing out of following a workout someone shares online, and that’s minutes spent on activity. If you want something to fill a block of time, and are confident that you can perform the exercises safely, go right ahead. If you’re expecting that workout to help you accomplish any of your other goals, you’re going to be disappointed.
Are you sure that’s right? Or safe?
Clients who come to me all go through the same process: we discuss what they want out of their sessions, what their goals are, what their exercise history is, and their likes and dislikes, plus any injuries or other limitations. And all of that’s before I even see them go near any equipment. Before we continue, I go away and write a plan, using all of this information and write off any dislikes or absolute physical restrictions immediately. The workout I write is something that the client should absolutely be capable of, even if that requires some coaching to get there.
Once we get to the gym floor, I run them through a foundational series of movements to check their form. Some can already perform a good quality squat or lunge, others need to be shown from scratch. Those things and everything in between are fine, it’s simply so that I know our starting point and can fix any niggles before they become a problem. It also helps me develop a language with the client – people understand terminology differently and I pride myself on individualised communication to ensure that someone’s using their body effectively.
Absolutely none of that happens via a TikTok.
Does that influencer even have a fucking clue?
Anyone can post anything on the internet. And that’s both a blessing and a curse. I love that we are all creators in this universe, and everyone gets to share their perspective. But just like you probably wouldn’t copy Brad the Bro’s workout as he grunts through it on the neighbouring squat rack, should you really be copying Hayley the HIIT Fanatic’s 30-minute power pump that’s been compressed into a 30-second Reel?
Are Brad and Hayley qualified? Are they performing the exercises correctly? If they are, that’s great. But remember that they might have copied another creator who watched a Joe Wicks video and mimicked his star jumps, added a few squat thrusts and called it their own. If you’re going to follow one of these, at least make sure that the person who made and posted it knows their split squats from their elbow.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
I applaud anyone who makes their living via influencing. Filming and editing good quality content is not easy, it takes a lot of time and energy, even when you’re talented and practiced. Just remember that those people are getting paid by someone to promote something. You do not need wrist or ankle weights. You do not need specifically-coloured booty bands. You do not need a £900 yoga mat. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and if there’s a call to action to buy something (ESPECIALLY when it comes with a “discount” – read, “commission” – code), hit pause before you click “add to cart”.
My workouts are my workouts
No, you won’t even find me sharing my own workouts these days. I say that because, during 2020 in particular, I did share some of the workouts I was doing at home. This was mostly to stay connected to those I know! People literally wanted to see what we were all up to whilst we weren’t interacting with each other in person, so I sometimes uploaded whatever my session had been on a particular day.
My training goals are my own, and I like to keep those quiet so that I can focus on them. I find it a delicate balance as a personal trainer – I don’t want anyone to be put off by me flaunting any particular numbers, and for them to think that they need to be in the same ballpark in order for me to train them. I don’t have a pre-qualification or standard that I demand of my clients, they get to decide those for themselves.
And so my workouts are also my own. It’s not to hide any professional secrets, it’s to give me my own time and space, in the same way that you get yours.
Next time you think about saving a workout to try later, ask yourself whether it really fits with what you’re trying to achieve. If it doesn’t, and you’d like some help, let me know.