Since I started this job with Muscle and Fitness, I've been training in a cheesy commercial gym for the first time in my life. Mind you, I'm not blaming Muscle and Fitness for this - it's just that I've moved to an area of California where I don't have too many training choices and had to choose a gym where "regular" people train. It's all about geographical proximity out here. LA traffic is so lousy that if you have to drive anywhere out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, you're kind of screwed.

Anyway, this has given me the opportunity - some would call it the misfortune - to observe a whole slew of garden variety commercial gym personal trainers in their natural habitat, and what I've seen so far is, let's just say, cause for concern. So much so that it actually makes me feel sorry for the poor souls who come to these guys thinking they're going to have their workout/nutrition/aesthetics problems solved in any way, shape or form.

I've seen two massive problems thus far: crappy exercise technique and a complete lack of assessment of the physical capabilities - strengths and weaknesses - of clients. The exercise technique thing absolutely kills me, and it goes back to what I've been writing about regarding the adoption of exercises and "gimmicks" that trainers don't even know how to use. An example of this at my gym happens when trainers try to use some warped, distorted version of box jumps with their clients.

Every trainer in the place does the same exact thing. They take an adjustable height flat bench and have their clients jump on it. I know I'm generalizing here, but I'm going to take a guess and say they're doing this because they saw it on YouTube and it looks cool. Chances are they've never taken part in an extended plyometric program, they've never learned the proper form for a jump or a landing, and they have no clue how to set the height of a jump, the total volume of jumps or where jumps fit into an effective program.

They simply say, "Let's go jump!" And everyone does it dead wrong.

The other thing that irritates me is watching people who can barely even walk and chew gum at the same time doing load-bearing exercises while the trainer sips a latte and screws around with his iPhone.

The one thing trainers need to keep in mind is that you have to watch EVERYTHING when you're training someone. The entire workout is an assessment, and the programming process is dynamic, meaning you need to keep a close eye on your clients' strengths and weaknesses, take notes, and adjust their programs based on what your eyes are telling you. If my client is squatting and he's completely bent over two reps in, he needs work on his lower back and his hamstrings. If he's dry humping the air when he stands up, his abs need work. If he can't keep his balance, maybe he doesn't need a bar on his back at all.

These little key points exist with virtually every movement clients perform in the gym, but the trainers at my gym aren't watching. They're cheerleading and grandstanding. That's about all they do, and it's sad. It's all about laziness and separating you from your money with the least effort possible.

If you're going to do something for a living, you may as well at least try to do it right, no?