Standards and Sloppage and Long-Time Instructors

External Since: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 46

Have any of you ever had to deal with a long-time instructor who got
trained years ago, and isn't quite up on modern best practice?

I had an episode with a long-time instructor today. He was doing his
usual advanced step workout which faces all directions, with lots of leg
twists and jumping around. For what it's worth, most of his clientele
can handle all that (for now). But for my own part, I had to adapt the
jumping and radial leg maneuvers the way my doctor told me to. I
compensate for that stuff with added leg and arm weights.

What especially got the instructor's attention onto me was, he was off
the 32-count by one beat, and I was following the music, not him. Well,
duh, I couldn't always see him, but I could always hear the music.

To his credit, he came to me afterward and gently tried to tell me I was
off the beat, and maybe my ankle and wrist weights were throwing me off,
and ACE and AFAA consider them contraindicated. In return, I admitted
he might possibly be right about weights, but maintained he was the one
off the beat.

He questioned me what I thought the beat per minute was (which seems
irrlevant), and I guessed 132 bpm. He said, 138. In great surprise, I
said 138 bpm is contraindicated for a step class.

I know Usenet won't be deciding which of us was on the beat, but...

* Are strap-on weights really against the recommendations of fitness
organizations? I find that hard to believe, because I was trained as a
fitness instructor five years ago, I weighed fifteen pounds more then,
and I had ten pounds of strap-ons today.

* I'm sure that if the fitness organizations saw this guy, they'd have
him up on charges. But maybe lots of us lead workouts with more jumping
and higher speed than the organizations recommend. How much of slop is
there to the recommendations, given a room full of highly healthy people
taking an advanced class?

* Is there a gentle way to suggest that a long-time instructor go take
some refresher workshops, especially when he runs the gym and can get me
thrown out?

--
-------- Scott Eiler B{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ --------

"Men must be patient. Cattle are not reasoning beings. Remember that
this is the Home of Mothers. Treat each cow as a Mother should be
treated."

- Notice To The Help, from W.D. Hoard, founder of Hoard's Dairyman
Magazine.

External Since: May 25, 2004 Posts: 113

In article <bBcQd.9920$D34.4695@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com>, Scott
Eiler <seiler RemoveThis @eilertech.com> wrote:

> * Are strap-on weights really against the recommendations of fitness
> organizations?

Yes. There was a phase of time when folks were using them to add
intensity to their step workouts, until it was discovered that the
incidence of shoulder, elbow and knee injuries skyrocketed as a result.
It's now considered contraindicated. If you really want to add weight
while stepping, wear a weighted belt or a backpack with a sandbag in
it--something that won't get swung at the end of an appendage.

> * I'm sure that if the fitness organizations saw this guy, they'd have
> him up on charges. But maybe lots of us lead workouts with more jumping
> and higher speed than the organizations recommend. How much of slop is
> there to the recommendations, given a room full of highly healthy people
> taking an advanced class?

ACE and AFAA still recommend no more than 128 bpm as the highest BPM,
for healthy people in an advanced class.

Unfortunately, I would guess that more than half the step instructors
out there use tempos significantly higher, with the idea that "my
participants are advanced, they can do it." There has been a lot of
discussion about this over the years, but the research clearly showed a
degradation in form and therefore safety as tempos rose higher than
128. Folks also use smaller range of movement in order to complete the
movement in time, which reduces exertion and defeats the whole purpose
of increasing the tempo.

> * Is there a gentle way to suggest that a long-time instructor go take
> some refresher workshops, especially when he runs the gym and can get me
> thrown out?

If he's certified by ACE, AFAA or just about any other
nationally-recognized organization, he must earn continuing education
credits in order to renew his certification every two years. Ideally
he would pick up such information in the conference workshops and
classes he takes, but unfortunately this type of information isn't
stressed much. I'd suggest visiting ACE's (American Council on
Exercise) or AFAA's (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America)
website and looking up their step guidelines, then presenting him with
a printed copy.

--
Denise denise dot howard at comcast dot net
ACE and AFAA certified fitness instructor
AFAA step and kickboxing certified