princessbear
Cathlete
You should make an appointment with your doctor like a previous poster recommended and have someone who KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT diagnose any problems you may (or may NOT) have. This guys sounds like a quack...
Feeling like a failure...
- Thread starter Dela
- Start date
NinjaMom
Cathlete
This is very unfortunate! How can he train you properly without getting to know you first?
I was required to fill out a complete medical and fitness history before we even got started. Next, I was put through a series of tests that allowed her to evaluate my level of fitness. For example, she tested my muscular strength, ROM, measured my squat & lunge depth etc... and then certain joint mobility exercises were introduced to improve areas in which I scored low. Not sure if all this is part of their certification or M.O. but after doing some kb moves, I think a person could really hurt themselves if performing the moves incorrectly.I know Catherine (fit fairy) is also receiving kb instruction and maybe she'll chime in here. I know she went through fitness testing and joint mobility exercises too.
JJ
LeanneM
Cathlete
Oh, Dela, that is such an awful experience! How frustrating to have driven all that way and have spent all that money to have him not even provide the services you went there for.
In addition to what others have suggested, have you thought about maybe sending him an email voicing your frustration? You could maybe do so politely, letting him know that you had gone all that way to get kettlebell instruction. It might be a good way to voice your frustration with the experience.
Also, please don't let his comments get you down! Tneah and I recently did a three-week group session with Lauren Brooks, and there were ALL fitness/kettlebell levels in that class. The joy of kettlebells is that you can adapt them to all fitness abilities. Even if you end up getting help in those areas, you can still keep doing your kettlebell workouts! I know that I have some weak areas and not a lot of flexibility, but my KB work is definitely helping with those problematic areas.
{{{HUGS}}} to you!!
In addition to what others have suggested, have you thought about maybe sending him an email voicing your frustration? You could maybe do so politely, letting him know that you had gone all that way to get kettlebell instruction. It might be a good way to voice your frustration with the experience.
Also, please don't let his comments get you down! Tneah and I recently did a three-week group session with Lauren Brooks, and there were ALL fitness/kettlebell levels in that class. The joy of kettlebells is that you can adapt them to all fitness abilities. Even if you end up getting help in those areas, you can still keep doing your kettlebell workouts! I know that I have some weak areas and not a lot of flexibility, but my KB work is definitely helping with those problematic areas.
{{{HUGS}}} to you!!
nancy324
Cathlete
When I was having really bad lower back pain, I called my GP and told her I was afraid to work out. She gave me a recommendation for a sports PT that was close to my office. I never wound up finding the time to go, but I'd still like to go at some point. I imagine they will give me some tips for working out with my particular weakness, tell me how to strengthen my back, and send me on my way after a few sessions. Everyone these days is so worried about liability, I think the instructor was just being super careful, but it doesn't sound like reason to despair. I'm sure it was very disappointing not to receive the kb workout you were looking forward to, but you'll get there. I imagine there are lots of exercisers with weaker hip flexors. I'm probably one of them. He definitely should not have left you high and dry like that. He should have given you some recommendations for some sports PTs and told you what the next step was, and that he could work with you when your PT was completed or something like that. He should not have left you confused and wondering what to do next!
Dela
Cathlete
I so wish there was something like this near me, I'm sure it would have been a WHOLE different experience, and not left such a bad taste in my mouth.
I went to my kickbox class this morning, and worked just as hard as I always do, some of the stuff from yesterday was still running through my head, but if nothing else, again trying to get something out of it, I worked on my squat form today.
I'm seeing more and more, he should have just set proper expectations for what he normally does with first time clients. I kind of feel duped that I drove down, had to pay the money, then he switched the focus on me.
I'm not really comfortable sending an email, and I'm sure I'm not getting my money back, so it won't make me feel better, it will just prolong thinking about it. With the support and help of these posts, and a clearer head this morning, I've decided to just get over it and move on.
Thanks everyone!
maddiesmum
Cathlete
Hey Dela:
Sorry to hear about your less than positive experience, but I think there could be a silver lining.
He may not have proceeded very professionally, but if he has correctly alerted you to potential misalignment and muscle imbalances problems, which you can now follow up on first with your regular doctor and then with an orthopedist, then actually he has done you a favour.
I recently had hip pain, which then migrated to thigh pain and ended up as runner's knee injury. What I have learned from seeing and orthopedist, and an orthotics specialist is extremely useful. I have learned that I need to do certain exercises to strengthen my weaker hip area, to prevent it from constantly falling into misalignment. I have learned how to have a better balance between anterior and posterior lower body muscles to prebent fuerther injuries. I have learned that my knees are inverted towards the centre of my body and not oreientated towards the outide as most people's knees are, and this sets me up for injury. And finally I learned that the ball of my foot is lower than my heel, and if you combine that with my fallen arches (aren't I lucky?!?!?), it sets me up for knee pain because while the upper part of my leg wants to twist outwards, the leg from the knee joint downwards wants to twist inwards, and all this counter-twisting gave me, and could give me again, runner's knee. Lucky me!
It isn't nice to hear that your body is less than stellar and to see orthopedists and orthotics guys shaking their heads wondering how you've managed to wander this earth for 43 years without serious injury to date, but if you change your perspective, it is good to know your skeleton's faults, so you can work with your physical idiosyncrasies, and not keep working against them and setting yourself up for injury.
So, definitely get an appointment with your doctor and get referred to a specialist and find out what s/he thinks and if you need PT to teach you how toexercise better and how to protect and strenghten your body, then welcome it. It is a good thing.
If your orthopedist tells you that you are completely OK, then you either refuse to honour the charge from the kettlebell guy on your credit card statement and demand he give you the training you paid for, or you demand a refund for failure to deliver services paid for.
And remember, whatever personal weird inner workings your body has, it does not mean you are a failure. It just means you are unique! Like me!!
Best of luck,
Clare
Sorry to hear about your less than positive experience, but I think there could be a silver lining.
He may not have proceeded very professionally, but if he has correctly alerted you to potential misalignment and muscle imbalances problems, which you can now follow up on first with your regular doctor and then with an orthopedist, then actually he has done you a favour.
I recently had hip pain, which then migrated to thigh pain and ended up as runner's knee injury. What I have learned from seeing and orthopedist, and an orthotics specialist is extremely useful. I have learned that I need to do certain exercises to strengthen my weaker hip area, to prevent it from constantly falling into misalignment. I have learned how to have a better balance between anterior and posterior lower body muscles to prebent fuerther injuries. I have learned that my knees are inverted towards the centre of my body and not oreientated towards the outide as most people's knees are, and this sets me up for injury. And finally I learned that the ball of my foot is lower than my heel, and if you combine that with my fallen arches (aren't I lucky?!?!?), it sets me up for knee pain because while the upper part of my leg wants to twist outwards, the leg from the knee joint downwards wants to twist inwards, and all this counter-twisting gave me, and could give me again, runner's knee. Lucky me!
It isn't nice to hear that your body is less than stellar and to see orthopedists and orthotics guys shaking their heads wondering how you've managed to wander this earth for 43 years without serious injury to date, but if you change your perspective, it is good to know your skeleton's faults, so you can work with your physical idiosyncrasies, and not keep working against them and setting yourself up for injury.
So, definitely get an appointment with your doctor and get referred to a specialist and find out what s/he thinks and if you need PT to teach you how toexercise better and how to protect and strenghten your body, then welcome it. It is a good thing.
If your orthopedist tells you that you are completely OK, then you either refuse to honour the charge from the kettlebell guy on your credit card statement and demand he give you the training you paid for, or you demand a refund for failure to deliver services paid for.
And remember, whatever personal weird inner workings your body has, it does not mean you are a failure. It just means you are unique! Like me!!
Best of luck,
Clare
kathryn
Cathlete
I agree.
Turn this negative into a positive by getting things checked out.
A chiropractor is another option to consider for an evaluation (some chiros do initial check-ups for free or a small fee...that's one way to get things checked out without a high cost.)
Vee
Cathlete
Dela,
One of my good friends is a physio therapist, ex-athlete and yoga teacher. He has been using yoga for physiotherapy besides teaching it as a form of exercise for over a decade.
He taught me yoga. I learnt from him also about anatomical diffrences / muscular imbalances and how these make certain movements harder for some people versus others.
When I started yoga, backbends came easy to me, including the more advanced poses but in forward bends I could not achieve a perfect fold-over. I used to envy people in yoga class including a gentleman in his seventies who could do forward bends with more elegance than me. I used to think that if I practised hard enough and long enough I would be able to achieve "perfection" too. This teacher pointed out differences in the way the pelvis was mounted in different people and in me and told me why my forward bend will most likely, always be less than "perfect." He also pointed out why I can do certain poses well - how nature had given me an advantage for those moves or poses. In fact, as they say in yoga - there is no "perfect". Some of the reasons why my forward bend was "limited" were correctible - inflexibility in hamstrings and hips from disuse and regular practise and patience would fix that. But some were just the way my body was built.
The difference is, my yoga teacher/friend did not describe my limitations as "hip issues". According to him there are various ways in which nature and genetics endows you with a body structure. These are all "normal" variations.
From what your KB instructor said I am not sure how many of what he called "issues" are simply things you need to work on like muscular imbalance, versus "real" limitations that will always make a few moves difficult for you.
In summary I have a few things to say, even assuming what this this kettlebell instructor said to you is based in fact (that you indeed have an "issue" in your hips):
a. "Issues" are not abnormalities. The way each person is "built" makes that person's body more naturally adept at certain types of moves versus others. So what if you really cannot do a few moves or exercises? A lot of people have trouble with squats and lunges. There are many, many others that you can do. There is no "one best way" to stay fit.
b. Most people have "issues", for lack of a better word, in terms of the way their body is built, or their current muscular imbalances or inflexibility being a limitation for a specific range of motion. It goes undiagnosed. They are active, and lead full and reasonably fit lifestyles, and go through life blissfully unaware.
c. People with muscular imbalances are often the really fit ones. People who come in for PT at my gym are often dancers, sports people, people who exercise like body builders, who "over use" certain joints or muscles because of their sport/activity.
d. I have seen people with serious mobility limitations making huge improvements with physiotherapy. If you really do have "issues", they dont seem like they can be as serious because you have been exercising regulary.
I cannot believe kickboxing is completely contraindicated for you. That seems to me unlikely since you dont say you have had injuries from all your years of working out. I agree with the suggestion to see a physiotherapist. I think that will set your mind at rest and if there really are some imbalances, you will get the right guidance to deal with them.
Sorry for being so long winded.
One of my good friends is a physio therapist, ex-athlete and yoga teacher. He has been using yoga for physiotherapy besides teaching it as a form of exercise for over a decade.
He taught me yoga. I learnt from him also about anatomical diffrences / muscular imbalances and how these make certain movements harder for some people versus others.
When I started yoga, backbends came easy to me, including the more advanced poses but in forward bends I could not achieve a perfect fold-over. I used to envy people in yoga class including a gentleman in his seventies who could do forward bends with more elegance than me. I used to think that if I practised hard enough and long enough I would be able to achieve "perfection" too. This teacher pointed out differences in the way the pelvis was mounted in different people and in me and told me why my forward bend will most likely, always be less than "perfect." He also pointed out why I can do certain poses well - how nature had given me an advantage for those moves or poses. In fact, as they say in yoga - there is no "perfect". Some of the reasons why my forward bend was "limited" were correctible - inflexibility in hamstrings and hips from disuse and regular practise and patience would fix that. But some were just the way my body was built.
The difference is, my yoga teacher/friend did not describe my limitations as "hip issues". According to him there are various ways in which nature and genetics endows you with a body structure. These are all "normal" variations.
From what your KB instructor said I am not sure how many of what he called "issues" are simply things you need to work on like muscular imbalance, versus "real" limitations that will always make a few moves difficult for you.
In summary I have a few things to say, even assuming what this this kettlebell instructor said to you is based in fact (that you indeed have an "issue" in your hips):
a. "Issues" are not abnormalities. The way each person is "built" makes that person's body more naturally adept at certain types of moves versus others. So what if you really cannot do a few moves or exercises? A lot of people have trouble with squats and lunges. There are many, many others that you can do. There is no "one best way" to stay fit.
b. Most people have "issues", for lack of a better word, in terms of the way their body is built, or their current muscular imbalances or inflexibility being a limitation for a specific range of motion. It goes undiagnosed. They are active, and lead full and reasonably fit lifestyles, and go through life blissfully unaware.
c. People with muscular imbalances are often the really fit ones. People who come in for PT at my gym are often dancers, sports people, people who exercise like body builders, who "over use" certain joints or muscles because of their sport/activity.
d. I have seen people with serious mobility limitations making huge improvements with physiotherapy. If you really do have "issues", they dont seem like they can be as serious because you have been exercising regulary.
I cannot believe kickboxing is completely contraindicated for you. That seems to me unlikely since you dont say you have had injuries from all your years of working out. I agree with the suggestion to see a physiotherapist. I think that will set your mind at rest and if there really are some imbalances, you will get the right guidance to deal with them.
Sorry for being so long winded.
Last edited:
lcobb2
Cathlete
The "jist"
Dela,
As I see it, the jist of the matter isn't whether or not you have "issues". Rather it's how the individual chose to communicate what he saw. Based on how you described the situation, it seems that he communicated to you in a way that wasn't completely "gentle". As a professionally licensed counselor, I have learned over many years that it isn't necessarily what someone says, but how that individual says it. I agree 100% with what some of the other posters have written about using this as an opportunity to discover if there is a structural/postural imbalance in your body from a qualified professional. However, this trainer (who I assume does not have a M.D. or other certification in alignment conditions), could have used an approach that you may have been better able to receive. If that's the case, this guy is just insensitive. If he did communicate in a manner in which you are comfortable then possibly take it for what it's worth.
Hugs to you dear one,
Laura
Dela,
As I see it, the jist of the matter isn't whether or not you have "issues". Rather it's how the individual chose to communicate what he saw. Based on how you described the situation, it seems that he communicated to you in a way that wasn't completely "gentle". As a professionally licensed counselor, I have learned over many years that it isn't necessarily what someone says, but how that individual says it. I agree 100% with what some of the other posters have written about using this as an opportunity to discover if there is a structural/postural imbalance in your body from a qualified professional. However, this trainer (who I assume does not have a M.D. or other certification in alignment conditions), could have used an approach that you may have been better able to receive. If that's the case, this guy is just insensitive. If he did communicate in a manner in which you are comfortable then possibly take it for what it's worth.
Hugs to you dear one,
Laura
Dela
Cathlete
No longer feeling like a failure, thank you
Thanks to all who have taken the time to put this all in the right light.
Vee, I have in the past found your advice and suggestions very useful and logically stated, and this is no exception.
As I researched some of this further, I found weaker hip flexors to be a very common "issue", and I wanted to add, he did not suggest doctors or anything, just joint mobility exercises and a little stretching. He was also touting a particular program for joint mobility, which I have found is popular in the world of kettelbell instructors. I really believe that if anyone walks in there, he will find an "issue" to focus on as I don't think most people, maybe even more so for those who exercise often, have "perfectly" balanced muscles.
I'm sure there is some truth to the weaker hip flexors, as it's quite common, but I do not believe that I actually have a real physical impairment.
And Laura, yes, his delivery was pretty damned bad and you are correct, no medical degrees, there is a possibly he is certified in that program I mentioned above. I just remember standing there with true shock just staring at him spewing all this stuff and information, and not knowing how to respond at all. His personality and style is all hard core/military like, which isn't for me, I don't repsond to it well (obviously).
Kathryn, funny you mentioned a chiropractor, he was quick to discount them as useful.
Clare, thank you for sharing your "issues" too. I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, but glad to know you have discovered ways to improve on them.
Vee, you had said "From what your KB instructor said I am not sure how many of what he called "issues" are simply things you need to work on like muscular imbalance, versus "real" limitations that will always make a few moves difficult for you"
I agree, and for now my course of action will be to add in some hip specific mobility exercises a few minutes a day and try to improve my posture (I sit all day at my job), it certainly can't hurt. If as time goes on, I feel any pain or feel injured in any way, I will go and see someone then.
Thanks again! Feeling much better and stronger today.
Thanks to all who have taken the time to put this all in the right light.
Vee, I have in the past found your advice and suggestions very useful and logically stated, and this is no exception.
As I researched some of this further, I found weaker hip flexors to be a very common "issue", and I wanted to add, he did not suggest doctors or anything, just joint mobility exercises and a little stretching. He was also touting a particular program for joint mobility, which I have found is popular in the world of kettelbell instructors. I really believe that if anyone walks in there, he will find an "issue" to focus on as I don't think most people, maybe even more so for those who exercise often, have "perfectly" balanced muscles.
I'm sure there is some truth to the weaker hip flexors, as it's quite common, but I do not believe that I actually have a real physical impairment.
And Laura, yes, his delivery was pretty damned bad and you are correct, no medical degrees, there is a possibly he is certified in that program I mentioned above. I just remember standing there with true shock just staring at him spewing all this stuff and information, and not knowing how to respond at all. His personality and style is all hard core/military like, which isn't for me, I don't repsond to it well (obviously).
Kathryn, funny you mentioned a chiropractor, he was quick to discount them as useful.
Clare, thank you for sharing your "issues" too. I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, but glad to know you have discovered ways to improve on them.
Vee, you had said "From what your KB instructor said I am not sure how many of what he called "issues" are simply things you need to work on like muscular imbalance, versus "real" limitations that will always make a few moves difficult for you"
I agree, and for now my course of action will be to add in some hip specific mobility exercises a few minutes a day and try to improve my posture (I sit all day at my job), it certainly can't hurt. If as time goes on, I feel any pain or feel injured in any way, I will go and see someone then.
Thanks again! Feeling much better and stronger today.
janie1234
Cathlete
This is so well put. Some professionals may be completely qualified and knowledgable of their trade, . . . but unfortunately they don't teach kindness lessons, and tact in school. Oh how I wish they did. Kindness and tact are like hemorrhoids . . not everyone has them.
I'm so happy to read all the great advice you've gotten here and I hope it helps you to feel better about your fabulous self.