My recent post on Yahoo! seems to have ruffled some feathers. In it, I comment that, approached properly, the free classes offered by many gyms can be a great a great option for folks whose lifestyle doesn’t support a relationship with a personal trainer.  The bulk and focus of the article is about how a person can make the most of those classes, but it seems people are taking it as a discussion on the value of personal training.  I wanted to take a moment to respond over here, since I don’t see much value in comment wars.

First, I want to be clear that the article wasn’t intended to be a statement on the value of personal training. In fact, it was originally titled “Navigating Your Gym’s Class Schedule to Build an Effective Program” but was changed by Yahoo! to “Free Classes Can be as Effective as a Personal Trainer” to increase traffic (guess that worked!)  If a relationship with a personal trainer is feasible and works for you, that is wonderful, and that is a situation you should absolutely continue. However, the article was written for folks looking for another option, and was intended to help them stretch their gym membership dollars by getting the most out of free classes.

There were, however, a couple of things in the comments on the article that I feel compelled to respond to because they help highlight the FitLifeSF/Fitness for Real Life philosophy beyond just this one article: (cont.)

“What kind of certified personal trainer would say that you don’t need a trainer?!” Well, this answer might be a bit too easy, but— “The kind that doesn’t have a vested financial interest in selling you training sessions.” It’s not surprising that the comment thread of the article is overrun with people who make a living selling training services being upset that someone would point out that there are other options—much less someone who’s certified themselves.  As a wellness educator/blogger/fitness pundit (who did happen to get a few certifications in the name of “never stop learning” and being educated about the topics I discuss), my goal is to empower you to find the path to wellness that works for you and your lifestyle. Whether that’s helping you find a personal trainer and getting the most out of that relationship, or it’s finding the right gym, or learning proper nutrition, or joining a workout in the park, or curling bottles of laundry detergent while the kids take a nap, or doing videos at home… there are as many paths to fitness as there are people on the path.

I have been very clear from the start of this blog: There are no “secrets,” there are no “gurus,” this is about discovering what works for you, and it’s a path that’s open to everyone.  I don’t have a financial interest in seeing you choose one option over another, and I don’t think you should have blind faith in anyone who does.

(In the interest of disclosure, my partner on this blog, Rob, is a Beachbody coach and does get minimal compensation if you purchase a Beachbody program through the links here- an option that was added because readers who came here looking for info on those products asked about it. I don’t get any of that money, and I don’t make any money from any of the other companies or products I talk about often—I talk about them because I love them and think they bring value. Also, the ads you see here are served by Google and we have no control over the content. We use the minimal money we get from those ads to pay for upkeep on the blog, hosting fees, etc. Someone gave me grief today for “endorsing” Jillian Michaels products since she is appearing in the Google ads.  Let’s just say that couldn’t be further from the truth. I think she is an example of so much that’s wrong with the direction the fitness industry is headed, and have been quite vocal about that.)

“Training alone is dangerous! You’re going to send someone to the ER!” Let’s be real—a sedentary lifestyle is going to land you in the ER far faster than attending a supervised fitness class or even getting active on your own. This is exactly the kind of exclusionary, barrier-to-entry fear-mongering that is keeping people unfit, and it is supremely unethical to me for people who have a financial interest in selling people training sessions to make folks feel like they are going to drop dead if they go it alone.  Driving to work in a Mercedes might be awesome, but it doesn’t mean you should just stay home if you can’t afford one. You need to get there however you can.

Again, there are as many paths as there are people on the path—if you are going to take up walking after dinner, if you are going to go to Zumba three times a week, if you are going to take a strength training class at the gym, I guarantee you are going to end up fitter for it, and, if your doctor’s given you clearance, you can do that safely in a self-guided program. If you are going to load 150% of your bodyweight onto the squat rack or try to do an Ironman next month, you probably want some supervision and guidance.

“You suggested people do X, but I did Y and I’m in great shape, so you are WRONG!” First, congrats! I am truly happy that you found a fitness program that works for you. And I’m not being snarky about that—again, there are as many paths as there are people on the path.  The information I provide in my posts is based on time-tested guidelines for good fitness, in line with American College of Sports Medicine recommendations, and (in the case of the Yahoo! blog specifically), meant to be helpful to the broadest number of people possible, most of whom are just starting out on their fitness journey.

In general, I will always advocate for eating a healthy balance of whole foods and undertaking a fitness program that includes a mix of cardio and resistance training.  If you ate nothing but acai berries and did nothing but skipping rope and got fit, that is wonderful for you, but doesn’t mean that is the only way for everyone. If you think people should only lift weights, or never eat carbs, or everyone needs to eat like a caveman, then let’s discuss those as options that might work for some people– a line item on the “menu of fitness” that we can understand and explore together– but if you want to preach that your way and ONLY your way is the “true path to fitness,” then I can help you find some other bloggers that share your approach and whose articles might be more up your alley.

Again, our goal with FitLifeSF is to make fitness approachable to everyone, regardless of where you are starting, where you want to end up, or what resources you have to get there. If you like this philosophy, I hope you’ll swing by again some time!