In 34 my years in the fitness industry, I have worked at lots of health clubs and have seen a lot of things. Some things are amazing, some bizarre, and some just stick in my mind as a teachable moment for me. This is one of those memories.
The trainer said to her “Just one more" six times. By the third extra rep the client’s form was shot, and she was almost standing up in the machine. By the fourth rep she was clearly panicked. By the fifth rep she looked over at me as if to say WFT! I just shrugged my shoulders. The trainer had no idea what the client was capable of or how fatigued she was on that particular set. If he did know he would not have had to say “Just one more” six times.
He wasn't aware. A trainers should do more that set the weights, count the reps, and say “Just one more’ redundantly until the client can't move anymore.
A knowledgeable trainer very quickly will come to know exactly what you're capable of, what your weaknesses are, and how to motivate you to get safely to the next level. In order to do that the trainer has to be in the same moment as a client. By that I mean he must understand where the client is fatigue-wise and how close she is to breaking form. He will anticipate those form brakes and talk her through it.
When we exercise we are focused on achieving our goal of completed the movement, but often times we are not aware of how we often cheat to obtain that goal. We reposition our bodies to get a leverage advantage. We cut the rep short. We do dangerously explosive moves in order to get past a sticking point. We instinctively look for the easy way out. Compromised form is not as productive and can be dangerous.
A good trainer will be aware of what is happening and what is going to happen, so he can talk you though the set safely to completion. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainers we have knowledgable trainers who can help you gradually build up to a strength training program that is safe, effective, and efficient for your age and condition.