I received an impassioned email on Friday from a client of the KB trainer who was the main subject of an earlier post. We spoke at length about why I made the post and I invited her to respond in the comments section. I’ve pulled her response out and made a seperate post, otherwise it would have just added to the old thread and would have been essentially been lost. Here is her comment:
Lisa Tosi | [email protected] |
Been training with this particular trainer for over a year now(17mo) I cant say enough about his ability to make his clients reach beyond what goals they have set for themselves. He is anything but a tool, or schmuck or idiot or any of the other names you all so loosly use in this thread. I find it very unfair that this was posted about this individual with out his knowledge. He has not been given the chance to defend himself..not that he would feel the need to, most of what I am reading I can tell you is crap! Every fitness studio/gym is not for everyone, different personalities need different trainers. If you want a trainer who sugar coats your reality to make you feel good about yourself, then your right this trainer is not for you. I dont know what was said to Katie,(she looks very fit to me) if somone offened her I’m sorry about that. I find most of what I am reading here to be very hard to believe. So much so that I called Rob myself and told him, “I find it very hard to believe this person would perform a bmi test on someone over there clothes”,Rob then told me it was’nt this person at all.
Rob you did write “About 5 minutes after entering the facility Katie was pulled to the side of the class by the I believe owner/operator and given a body fat assessment using calipers…through Katie’s pants!.” Rob, if you know the owner didnt do this then you need to write a retraction. I find it very unprofessional for issues like these to be posted on a blog instead of stepping up and telling the person face to face or even over the phone that they offended you.
I can vouch for this person he’s a great trainer, when I started with him I was 34% I am now down to 16% I’m 41 and never been in better shape in my life.I really enjoy training with this person as do many other who train with us.
Rob, you were willing to send Katie over to him, he wasnt a tool then and now you know he isnt the one who did the bmi test so…he’s a tool, why? I’m not tyring to start a pissing match here just felt the need to voice my opinion since I actually train with the guy. Oh!! and as far as high pressure or sleazy sales tactics, sorry,doesnt happen..not a chance.
Lisa
I really appreciate Lisa taking the time to post the comment and I want to address a few points. Lisa takes me to task here:
Rob you did write “About 5 minutes after entering the facility Katie was pulled to the side of the class by the I believe owner/operator and given a body fat assessment using calipers…through Katie’s pants!.” Rob, if you know the owner didnt do this then you need to write a retraction. I find it very unprofessional for issues like these to be posted on a blog instead of stepping up and telling the person face to face or even over the phone that they offended you.
The fact is Katie had her body fat “checked” through her pants AND was told that she had 28% body fat. This happened and in my world the person in charge, the person whose NAME and REPUTATION are the foundation of a business…THAT person is the responsible party. This is that integrity point that I was trying to make. If one of our trainers fucks up you will come talk to ME for the fix because if they screwed something up, that is MY fault because I did not train them properly and it is my responsibility. Not everyone works this way but professionals do work this way. If this is the case of an unfortunate breakdown and this has “never” happened other than this one time Katie took the class…well, it is still the owners responsibility. It only takes one fuck-up to associate ones name with unprofessional behavior.
In the original post I also made the point that the calipers-through-the-pants method of bady fat checking is apparently common in the local globo gyms. This is unacceptable behabior and people need to know what complete bullshit these practices are. Period.
In my phone conversation with Lisa I explained that this was a intended to be a wake-up call for the individual who runs this business. Your name and reputation is ALL you you have in business. If you break it, it’s tough to fix it.
I’m glad Lisa phoned me. She is/was very protective of her trainer and that is a good thing because I honestly have not heard anything positive to date. She relayed a picture of tough people getting hard workouts and digging the experience. She said folks stay long term and get results beyond their expectations. Sounds good to me and frankly that was my expectation for the place. I tend expect the best from people. This is why I was so angry and upset by Katie’s experience. I’m going to ask Katie if she wants to go check out the KB class again and see if Lisa will hang with her during the class. Lisa is invited to come and do our group class so she can compare/contrast how the two operations are run.
Hey Robb,
Thanks for posting my comment and bumping it up.
The only other point I want to make here is, you said,
“This is that integrity point that I was trying to make. If one of our trainers fucks up you will come talk to ME for the fix because if they screwed something up, that is MY fault because I did not train them properly and it is my responsibility.”
I totally agree with you and the owner would absolutely agree…but you have to inform someone of the problem before it can be fixed. Neither you or Katie informed the owner of her bad experience. How was he supposed to provide a FIX when not given a chance? Again I am sorry she had a bad expierience. Believe me he would have addressed it for sure if he had known.
I appreciate you taking the time to talking with me and I appreciate the the invite to your place, maybe we’ll come check it out. I really do hope Katie comes back for another try. She looks like a hard charger and I really think she would enjoy the experience this time around. Hope to see you sometime soon Katie.
Thanks,
Lisa Tosi
Lisa-
You are right…I will take my lumps on this, I absolutely should/could have handled this better by simply calling and talking to your coach. The point could still have been made in general terms AND he would have been better aware of the issue. Obviously a breakdown in my own integrity that I need to fix or be completely full of shit. I will see Katie today at 4:00pm. I’m assuming it is ok for me to give her your contact info and you guys can schedule her from there. Let me know when it is convenient for you to roll out for our 5:15 MWF class.
Robb
Nothing wrong with trying to keep integrity in the fitness business today….as there are alot of great quality trainers out there…and there are trainers who are getting no results for their clients while they balance on a bosu ball and work on their “core”. Without naming names of people, just educate clients to expect the best from their trainer…and walk away if they are not getting results! Heck…fire your trainer every month in my book and then decide whether to rehire them or try someone else or some other workout program. The good trainers will never sweat losing clients…while the others will have to shape up or go serve coffee at Starbucks.
MOD-
That paints a great picture “Would you like that mocha with 21, 15 or 9 thrusters?”
I have to say the owner is responsible for anything their employees do with regards to sales strategies etc.
There are no excuses for what happened.
They can only stop what they’ve been doing and use more ethical methods for getting clients. These sought of things need to be brought out in to the open so people are aware of these kinds of tactics.
Hone-
Thanks for the thoughts on this…much my intention on this.
Robb
I too was invited to a KB only fitness studio on wed and now I am a bit apprehensive on checking it out.. I am going to go with n open mind and try and hope for the best. In my experience over the past 15 plus years of training with various professional and trainers is that ALL of you think your way is the best and only way to get fit and I suppose you would need to think that in order to be somewhat successful. I find the bottom line is that we are all individuals and you have to find the right match in order to gain results.
As far as Katie goes, that sucks she is RIPPED and obviously very fit! I would say she is more like 17-19% body fat and anyone who trains or gets trained would know that doing a skin test through pants is absurd and she should have called him out on it immediately instead of playing the victim role!
Jessica-
I’d check it out, chances are they are good people. The bottom line is you need to like the vibe of the place AND they need to get results. Some people seem to like the more boot-camp style of getting yelled at etc. We do more cheer-leading than drill instructing…but our people can kick-ass! Straight Blast Gym has a saying I like: “Tough is how we train, not how we act.”
Robb
Being an Exercise Physiology student, a member of Kor, and an avid cross-fitter, I feel the need to comment on what Mr. Wolf and Mrs. Tosi are discussing. If Katies body fat was measured through her pants, then that is a disgrace. Not only are 3 point calipers measurements only marginally accurate, but this is under the assumption they are done correctly. Let me quote the text, “the skinfold method is subject to severe limitations. It should be used only in field studies or when only gross estimations of body composition are required. Dehydration, for example, decreases a skinfold thickness by as much as 15%, which, in turn, causes variability in measurements taken in the morning and evening (Exercise Physiology: bioenergetics and its application. 2005. Brooks, Fahey and Baldwin). ANYONE that is relying on such data should know the limitations of the measurement taken. I personally have never had any such experience at Kor nor do I believe it is anything more than an isolated incident.
On the subject of integrity, it’s my opinion that the fitness field is overrun with trainers that would rather attack each other on a personal level than assess their ability to attain results. This is a science, one of the last places on earth based in facts. If a trainer is getting results, leave your personal attacks for myspace and other appropriate forums. This entire situation seems like it would have been handled better with a phone call from Robb to Kor. I have personally made many gains from both Crossfit and Kor. I further believe that had Mr. Wolf and the owner of Kor met under different circumstances, they would agree on many aspects of how to effectively train. On a personal level, being a student of Exercise Science, it is discerning to see a field full of hacks and uneducated trainers. Crossfit and Kor are some of the only bright spots in a town with many “globo-gym” type facilities. I would hope that these misunderstandings do not take place in the future.
-This is the first time I have written on a forum or online discussion. I think they are a great way to share ideas and for professionals to get feedback. However, I man much wiser than I once said, “Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics, even if you win, you are still a retard.” Pardon my insensitivity.
Martin-
I took my lumps and owned the fact I should have contacted KOR directly on this matter. I also made clear why I handled this in a public forum. It is incredibly frustrating to work for 5 years building a practice to have people ask “do you do things like those other KB people?”…and have that question full of negative undertones. Lisa contacted me, passionately defended her trainer and I made a point of airing ALL of that in the interests of a full accounting of the situation. Katie is rolling back down to KOR after her finals wrap up, perhaps you and Lisa can show her through the program for a week so she can appreciate the training. If you are interested in coming in for some classes contact me and we will make that happen. All that I will say in closing is the only thing one has in business…I guess really in life, is ones reputation. Fuck that up and it’s tough to repair.
Robb
PRICELESS:
“-This is the first time I have written on a forum or online discussion. I think they are a great way to share ideas and for professionals to get feedback. However, I man much wiser than I once said, “Arguing on the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics, even if you win, you are still a retard.” Pardon my insensitivity.
Martin-”
EVA-
My phone conversations with Martin have shown him to be a sharp guy who is very passionate about everything health and fitness oriented. Initially he agreed with my assessment of how things are done at his gym but my guess is that Lisa’s post caused a “circling of the wagons” and the resultant, enlightening post. It is interesting however…a former Olympian (you) posting on the blog of an (apparent) Special Olympian (me).
I may throw ALL of our KB’s away…
Robb
Robb seems to have a habit of blasting people without thinking first, and not giving them an opportunity to respond.
Prof. Berman-
I’m working on a response to you. And, if you took the time to read the comments and the subsequent follow-ups, I DID allow for a response.