Accelerate Health and Performance: Sifting BS

Last year I worked with a trainer who pushed all his clients to take Pre-Workouts, BCAA’s and Protein – None were body builders or athletes. They were very run of the mill general population clients who all wanted to lose a bit of weight, get a bit fitter, healthier and stronger.

Why did he push them toward supplementation? So he got a discount on all the shortcut bullshit he was doing because he wasn’t actually training or looking after his nutrition properly.
 
He won’t read this but I’d say it anyway...He was being a bit of a dick.
 
Not because he wanted to make a profit and not because he recommended supplements to his clients, but because he never really assessed or met their needs and never yielded tangible results. His clients generally liked him so they stayed a while but they often got jack of not getting the results they wanted and he didn’t stretch himself further to find out why.
 
You see, as a Personal Trainer, over time you develop a great bullshit detector. You also talk to a lot of different people and learn a lot about those people - Their heritage, their culture, their personality traits, their habits...whether they’re a folder or a scruncher.

But this guy didn’t talk to his clients and engage them...he never learned about them as people and never retained the knowledge that would join the dots and shed some light on the people he would meet in months and years to come.
 
One of his clients was a big English bloke. I’d estimate 120-140kg and 50% body fat plus...and he had him knocking back pre, intra and post workout amino acids at 5:30am.
 
Mitch: “Why have you got him on so many aminos? He isn’t lifting that much weight and that’s a lot of calories to take in before he even gets to breakfast.”
Trainer: “Nah, there’s no calories in aminos. The label says so.”
Dear oh, dear oh, dear.

Amino Acids make up protein molecules...1g of Protein yields four calories of energy...but what makes up protein molecules has no energy?

Layne Norton explains it very well here: https://www.biolayne.com/coaching/faq/part-e-bcaa/
 
So clearly there were some holes in this guy’s education. He was young and naive, and credit where credit is due, he took that on the chin and accepted the knowledge.
 
What else was there about that one client though that really, really stood out straight away, for me? He was English. A Pom. He was from the Mother Country, Guv’nah... And what do we know about the English diet? It’s pretty horrible.
 

* This actually looks delicious even if it gives me seven simultaneous heart attacks

Chips with every meal, even breakfast cereal. Sweet drinks on the regular. Highly processed bullshit as far as the eye can see. And I can say this...I married a pom.
When I met my wife her diet was shiiiit. My diet is by no means perfect but with a few simple changes my wife lost over 10kg in six months with a little bit of exercise and a shitload less Yorkshire Puddings.
 
Now I admit, I never actually analysed this guy’s diet but I’m willing to put a pineapple on it being pretty whack – a significant calorie surplus, a large amount of deep fried food and whole lot of processed sugar. That, plus a shit ton of calorie filled supplements...he didn’t lose weight. He gained weight. Fast.

When there’s no interaction and no engagement there is no bullshit detector. No little voice in the back of your head saying “This bloke isn’t telling pork pies, he is eating them!” and that is a HUGE pitfall for new, inexperienced trainers. Most trainers won’t become older, experienced trainers without this ability.
 
But it’s not just up to us...sure, you pay us to help you achieve your goals but we aren’t magicians. You see us maybe three or four hours per week tops...what are you doing in the other 160+ hours?
Are you actually eating really well or have you had salads with your Big Mac instead of fries? Are you really doing your hill sprints or are you doing a hill sprint and then taking selfies? #fitspo
Before you even try your bullshit with your trainer, be your own bullshit filter. Be your own bullshit filter every day!
 
Are you training as hard as you need to or as hard as you’re supposed to be? Are you keeping your macros and calories in check or are you mismeasuring to allow yourself some extra Ben & Jerry’s? Did you really eat pretty well this week or did the bottle of vodka, late night kebab and Large Popcorn Chicken Meal kind of fuck that up?
 
Trust me, the first answer that comes to mind is ALWAYS the right one and if it is second guessing yourself the answer to the questions above is “no”.
 
Not every has to be bodybuilder strict. The successful ones are disciplined as hell. Those guys and girls are freaks. But if you can become a lot more honest with yourself and a lot more honest with your trainer your results will go through the roof in a matter of weeks.
 
Trainers: Get to know your clients in detail. They may up and leave one day but you will be so much more prepared for the next one that comes along. Sift their bullshit!
Trainees: Sift your bullshit. Cut your bullshit. Be real with yourself and be real with your trainer. If you need someone to be your bullshit filter call me. I’ve got many bullshit filters that tell me to shut the fuck up constantly. It’s great – It helps – It is important.
 
Life is way easier and way more fun when we keep it real and own our choices and actions.
 
Please direct all hate mail to the owner of this website. 
She's the one to blame for me continuing to be published.

Mitchell Knight
Accelerate Health and Performance
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