Those who know me, know that I am a massive formula 1 fan, obsessed is probably the best word! So I have decided to do a post to show you guys that a human body and a formula 1 car, are in fact similar! The reason I want to do this, is because I have had friends come to me asking if I know a good trainer that won't over complicate things, but come across in a way that they know what they are talking about. How does that tie in with an f1 car? bare with me....
A formula 1 car is one heck of a complicated piece of kit, not only to build, but to actually 'run' and drive. On a race weekend, they spend three practice sessions 'tuning' the car to the specific needs of the track they are at, and even then, they don't always get it right! Then, when it comes to race day, they make sure everything is good, then fire up the car and the drivers do their 'out lap' to the grid. Whilst on that lap, they are checking the systems. They then park the car on the grid where the tyres are covered in the blankets to keep them warm. Then on the warm up lap, the drivers have to work like crazy in the cockpit - checking the systems again, warming up the brakes, warming up the tyres, getting the tyres to the correct pressure levels, making sure everything is as good as it can be to get the best start. Does that relate to a human? of course! Mr Bolt doesn't just walk in the stadium and go to the blocks and sprint, he has to prepare his body in a specific way. BUT! whenever you hear a driver or team principle talking about something to do with the car, no matter how complicated it is, they will tell you in such a simple way, and that is what I love! That is what personal trainers should be like. 99% of the time, someone goes to the gym and hires a PT to either lose weight or gain muscle, they don't want that trainer to talk to them in the most complicated way, because 1) they aren't interested in the technical side of the body and/or 2) they will just feel overwhelmed.
Trainers that tend to do that, I have found, are ones that want to show off how much they know, and I don't really like that. Personal training is all about the 'personal' part. Clients want to get along with their trainers, trust them, like them, laugh with them, work hard with them. They don't want a biology lesson. Granted, there are some people that do get into it and start asking questions and learning, but that is not the majority of people. Back to the f1 comparison - most of the public would like to know how something works on the car, but they don't want the in depth complicated explanation, so that's why drivers and teams give the simplified versions. A personal trainer is there to get results, not to be a school teacher, if you're genuinely interested, then that is perfectly fine, but if you feel overwhelmed and don't feel connected to your trainer, then get a new one.
Both a human body and a formula 1 car, are very complex machines, and both can be described in scientific language, but does everyone want to hear that? no.... I like to compare things to do with nutrition and fitness to things such as formula 1, because my clients can understand it better. It doesn't feel like I'm just reading something out of a text book to them, because lets face it - anyone can do that. The best trainers out there have their OWN style, and their own way of getting the necessary information across. A lot of trainers like to over complicate things, once again - to show off their knowledge and give the 'look at me! i'm amazing!' impression. The good trainers out there actually do educate their clients about health and fitness, but not in the way of preaching textbooks, but by simply training them with their own style. Those are the kids of trainers people should pay for.