Personal Trainers vs. Strength Coaches
You’ve heard and read enough about strength training and are ready to begin your Strength Block. You want to learn the lifts, but are unsure where to go. You might be thinking of simply booking a session with a personal trainer at your local gym, but I would caution you from doing so just yet.
Your local trainer might be “certified”, but all this means is that he took a written exam and demonstrated that he understands certain basic training concepts at a theoretical level. It doesn’t mean that he actually knows how to perform the barbell lifts or teach them to others. In fact, most certifications can be completed from your computer without having to ever demonstrate your lifting mechanics to anybody!
Now, this doesn’t mean that all personal trainers are de facto incompetent, but it does mean that competence in the barbell lifts cannot be taken for granted. It is something you have to look for.
Moreover, even when personal trainers are familiar with the barbell lifts, they often perform and teach them differently than strength coaches do. For example,
the deadlift and squat are often taught with a more upright back angle,
the overhead press is often taught without the lean back that creates a more efficient bar path,
and the bench press is usually taught without the arch or leg drive that enable heavier lifts.
And, finally, even when personal trainers perform the lifts with good technique, they may have only used the lifts for physique building and not strength training. This means that they may not have trained the lifts heavy enough to properly understand the mechanics and stability needed to lift maximal weights nor the programming principles that drive strength adaptations. Many people can deadlift 135 lb. with good form, but few can maintain good form once the bar gets heavy.
So really, what you want to look for are personal trainers or coaches that model their training after powerlifters or strongmen. Your best bet will be to seek out such coaches by consulting one of the following directories: Strongfirst, Starting Strength, Barbell Medicine and Barbell Logic. Alternatively, you can also typically find good coaches by searching for powerlifting or strongman gyms in your city.
Expect to pay more for these sessions than you would for a session with a personal trainer who is not a barbell specialist, but rest assured that it’s an investment you will not regret making!
