PERSPECTIVE: REFLECTIONS OF INDUSTRY LEADERS
ARE YOU A PERSONAL TRAINER
OR A GENERIC TRAINER?
New genetics tech that allows completely personalised training
plans means that we will soon view generic programming as not
only outdated, but also negligent, believes Dr Cam McDonald.
icture this: around 500 people did
the same exercise routine for 20
weeks: three fully supervised
stationary cycle sessions per week at 70%
VO 2 max. Some individuals got amazing
results (30% increases in VO 2 ), but some
actually got worse and finished less fit.
Now reflect on your own ‘weight loss’
training clients: on one hand you have those
who are crushing it, and on the other are
those ‘tough’ ones… You feel anxious when
it comes to measuring their ‘progress’ after
four weeks (maybe even pulling a little tighter
on the tape), only for them to return a small
increase in weight or measurements. Worst.
Feeling. Ever. It has to be their fault, right?
They’re not really committed and must be
fibbing to you about what they’ve been doing
and eating. The truth is, it is them – and it’s
you too. Your program doesn’t match what
their body needs, and it could actually be
hurting them.
Most PTs believe they are personalising
when they assess someone’s goals, exercise
and injury history, and general lifestyle. The
trainer responds to the client’s stated wish
to lose weight with a prescription of daily
HIIT workouts, coupled with information
about higher protein diets and caffeine
consumption. The problem with this is that
they are treating the situation generically, i.e.
‘weight loss = HIIT training’, rather than with
what the individual actually needs.
P
Every client is unique and will have:
• specific genes and muscle physiology
that respond to certain stimuli better than
others
• specific metabolic functions that treat
food in a different way to others
• a specific balance of neurochemicals and
brain activity that makes them motivated
in a certain way
• specific times through the day when their
body will respond better or worse to food,
movement, sleep and work
• a specific reason why and where their
body holds fat, and releases fat in a way
that’s healthy for them.
A person’s epigenetics – their unique gene
expression – will largely predetermine these
factors, and they differ dramatically from
person to person. The technology is now
available to trainers to determine a client’s
best movement, food type and timing,
optimal method of motivation, and perfect
time and conditions for sleep, all based on
their epigenetic profile.
If you don’t know what their specific
muscle physiology is like in conjunction with
their unique chronobiology (optimal timing
of activities for their body), you won’t realise
that early morning HIIT training for one client,
Jess, causes an unwanted spike in stress
hormones at that time of day, and, for her,
dysregulates insulin and blood sugar levels,
resulting in weight gain or weight stability.
For another client, Max, his body is super
tolerant of stress at this time, has no issue
with insulin and responds with significant
body composition change.
Same training, different body, different
results. Treat the person, rather than the
goal. It turns out that Jess’s body needs
late afternoon strength training to maximally
stimulate weight loss in her body (for a
number of complex physiological reasons),
but unless you are assessing this, you will
be guessing.
The same goes for food. Long term high
protein for Max leads to results, whereas
for Jess it’s associated with bowel disease
and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, plus
weight maintenance, or short term loss, and
big regain.
The same goes for motivation. Max
wants to be your ‘best’ client ever and do
anything to get results. Jess just wants to
hang out with you and chat throughout her
session. These preferences are built into
their genetics and their health type, and your
success in motivating them will be based
on your understanding of how to use their
preferences to their advantage.
If you don’t know the person, the generic
weight loss program you provide may
actually contribute to them being injured,
unsatisfied, or completely turned off training
altogether. In five years, we will all be talking
about how generic programming is actually
quite negligent. As a career trainer, you don’t
want to be on the late adopter end of this
fitness industry shift, and the personalised
revolution has already begun.
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Dr Cam McDonald blends his background as
a dietitian and exercise physiologist with his
longstanding personal interest in health, and his
passion for understanding the latest research in
genetics and environmental influence on health. He
is CEO of ph360 Australia, which uses epigenetics
to personalise fitness and lifestyle. ph360.me
NETWORK SUMMER 2018 | 7