Resistance tube vs hand weights

[Carmen829]

I take a local fit club class at a community center. The only equipment required is 3-5 lbs hand weights. I forgot to pack mine and literally took my resistance tubes off the hook as I left the garage for class. I never thought of letting the instructor know. After class instructor called me off to the side and spoke to me for bringing in resistance tubing instead of the hand weights. Although I was able to do all her exercises with the tubing, she said something about she'd appreciate a heads up when I do that because if she'd known she would have adjusted the exercises....I was apologetic and embarrassed.

I've been thinking about it all night and wonder if I came across as a show off or something? There are all fitness levels in the class, maybe some are intimidated by more advanced students and she's trynig to keep it inviting....I dont know. It is her class and I should have told her I had a different piece of equipment than everyone else for the day....Maybe I'm making too much out of nothing.

What do you think? Some of you are instructors, would that have bothered you? If Cathe's reading this, I'd really like her opinion too.

Thanks for the feedback.

Carmen.

 

[jgoycoolea]

I'm not an instructor, so can't comment on that, but I wanted to share a similar story.

Here at home, I have always worked out in my basement with dvds. But when we visit my husband's family in Mexico I go to the gym. Usually I just do free weights, but once I took a bootcamp class. The instructor had us doing high reps of overhead presses with a bodybar--and he had us in a wide stance with our feet. It felt uncomfortable to me so I shifted to a normal width stance with one foot back, and he came over to me and made me switch! He was nice about it, but still. Its not my style to argue and make a scene so I switched back and let it go.

I guess it was bothersome because this was clearly not my first time working out. I appear fit and strong and was keeping up on all moves with good form. Did he not think I could make an appropriate adjustment? I liked to think that he later tried my stance and realized it was quite stabilizing.

So, my first time in a class didn't have me begging for more. I'll stick with Cathe dvds at home thank you very much!

 

[melimcn]

I personally think the instructor is a little ridiculous.
I think I would've asked her why she would've felt the need to adjust the entire class for just you, when you could clearly do the work with the tubing.
She probably just didn't like that you were doing something a little different from the rest of the class.

But, I'm not an instructor, so maybe there's an argument that I'm not seeing...

 

[gillianorr]

I think both instructors were a little over the top with their reactions and I can only hope they were on the new side and not used to making modifications for individuals in a group setting. That said (although this did not apply in these two scenarios ) it simply has to be safety first in a class and sometimes we have to reign some folks in to prevent injury.
As an instructor I can testify that we see many levels of experience and control from one extreme to the other in each and every class...and sometimes it can take time for instructors to develop the cueing skills and comfort level to know that it is not only okay but preferable for each student to be doing what works best for them....and not a class of synchronized clients! That said maybe the instructor who wanted the heads up on tubing wanted to make sure she was prepared in case less experienced students arrived and she had to think on her feet more than usual. The bootcamp guy correcting stance was just silly as that is simply a client preference....not a matter of safety or greater benefit from the exercise!
I hope this doesn't permanently make a negative impact on anyone attending group classes...while I, too, love my dvd's there is something powerful about getting together as a group....the exchange of energy, the sharing of common interests, and even moaning and groaning together can lift your spirits and keep you motivated! Keep trying new classes and instructors until we find what's right for you!

 

[MidgetDogg]

She was probably put-off because you didn't look to her as THE authority on fitness. One reason why I work out exclusively on my own - people annoy me.

 

[molasses]

One reason why I work out exclusively on my own - people annoy me.

Hear! Hear!

 

[Carmen829]

Thanks for feedback. I think she may be fairly new in the business a couple of years now. Just wanted to be sure I was in check. Thanks again.

 

[maddiesmum]

There's no reason why either of you should have felt any embarrassment at all! You adjusted the class to make it work for you. Any instructor should be able to see that this is a good thing, not bad.

Seems to me both instructors felt intimidated and threatened by your knowledge of fitness which you had not derived from them. There is a certain power in the classroom, whether fitness or academic, that derives from being the one with the knowledge. You posed a threat to this power because these instructors did not possess enough humility to recognize that they did not have a monopoly on knowledge and knowledge is best shared. It's an ego problem they really need to get over!

Just carry on as you are!

Clare

 

[gillianorr]

Well if you think we are egotistical in front of the class you can only imagine what the staff meetings are like...we can hardly fit our heads in the door and once in it's a free for all...."no, it's strength then cardio," "split stance is the only way to go." All those powerful people jockeying for the lime light and mirror time...it's amazing we get anything accomplished at all.

For the love of sweet pete, if a client is doing something right in our class we exhale a sigh of relief and say there is a God...and we don't give a hoot if it was the good Lord himself who they learned it from...we are just grateful that the industry is indeed making a difference and we are changing lives through exercise.

The role of an instuctor is not easy...you are responsible for the safety and well being of whoever you have the honor of attending your class...many hours are spent developing creative workouts to be delivered at godforsaken hours because we love what we do and we love when it works even more...it gets us jazzed and ready for more...most certainly not intimidated.

So instead of painting instuctors with a biased egotistical brush take a step back and think of all the wonderful things they do for you...instructors rock your world!!

 

[maddiesmum]

Gillian:

You need to take a massive step back and stop misreading every post I write.

I did not "taint all instructors with the same brush" as you are implying. I only commented upon these two. I have no idea what you might be like as a fitness instructor. I can only hope you show a good deal more humility than the poster's instructor did.

I am a classroom instructor of Spanish at the university level and so I know full well that power exists in the classroom as in every single situation of instruction and every single relationship between student and teacher, no matter what the subject. What differs in each teaching situation is how each instructor chooses to view that relationship and their place in it.

Please entertain the possibility that other people have opinions worth expressing, the right to express them and that the posters of each thread are completely capable of sifting through the various posts and working out for themselves what they think is true and worthwhile. You can disagree with me 'til Kingdom come. It doesn't mean that I am wrong and you are right, just that different perspectives are possible.

I don't attend fitness classes and anyway, instructors don't do all that much for me. They demonstrate moves, but the benefit I derive from that is totally up to me and the effort I am prepared to put into my fitness journey on any given day. A teacher may open the door: a student walks through it alone and under their own steam.

Clare

 

[Carmen829]

Thank you so much for the feedback and open dialog. Let me just say that I've been a Cathlete for over six years. I'm in the best shape of my life and I really do owe it to working out with Cathe. I've learned so much about form from her and these forums are a wealth of information for exercise, diet, nutrition, modifications...you name it.

My instructor is known for saying "you get out of it what you put in it". So I see using tubing as another way of getting what I want out of my workout and spicing up the variation. As I say I was able to do all her exercises with the tubing. There was even one time that night she said to me she didnt think I could do the lunge and a knee up with an overhead press and I did.

I believe I am careful and knowledgeable in using the tubing so for me safety was not the issue. That's why I was confused and frankly embarrassed that she pulled me aside and said that to me.

I hope to go to her class again next week and plan on bringing in the tubing (I got such a great workout with the tubing that evening). If she has a problem again, I will not attend that class again.

I'll update again next week. Thanks again for helping me thru this. Like I said, I wanted to be sure I was in check.

Carmen.

 

[gillianorr]

Looking forward to how things go for you next week Carmen...who knows you may have sparked something in the instructor to broaden the horizons and fitness opportunites for all the students...just to throw an option out there, maybe you could bring both the weights and the tube to the next class just to cover all bases?? Whatever the outcome, don't let this bump in the road stop you from trying a variety of modalities and instructors. The vast majority of instructors want the very best experience for their clients...and I have no doubt that after six years with Cathe you could more than handle yourself...that can't be said for every client so hopefully your situation was just the teacher getting nervous that others would follow suit but not nearly be as good as you...lets think happy thoughs!!

Hola Clare...there will be no massive stepping back from me as I'm not misreading a darn thing, and I call 'em like I see 'em...and if that is how you talk to your poor students just know it isn't gonna fly with me. And your statement of me commenting on every post you make is quite an exaggeration, don't you think?? The rest of your post is exactly what I was doing...so gracias! Looking forward to hearing from you...