Who are the safest and least safe instructors?

[alisoncooks]

Haven't followed every single response, so forgive me if this is redundant.

I think we do have to be aware of our own abilities (and not shirk personal responsibility), but I also think instructors do have some responsibility. They are presenting themselves as qualified, most of whom have some physiology background. Most of us "regular" people do not have extensive knowledge about what movements are currently considered safe or not.

My doctor is a professional, trained in that field. I am not. I pay him for the services he provides b/c I don't know what he knows. But if something seems *off* I do have the responsibility to do some research and get 2nd opinions b/c ultimately it is my health and body at risk. Likewise, I pay trainers/instructors for their services b/c they are presenting themselves as knowledgeable....but if something feels *off*, I have that job of researching and getting 2nd opinions...

[Gams]

I haven't read every single response, either, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people who find an instructor's exercises unsafe are not following the instructor's directions properly. In a live class, that can be corrected, but when you are working out at home using a DVD, there's nobody there to correct your form. I know in my ramping class, there are people who can't even tell their right from their left, so it wouldn't surprise me if others are sometimes injured because they weren't doing the moves as intended.

[Lucky Star]

The only instructor/workout I would consider at least potentially unsafe is Jillian's kettlebell workout. No I haven't done it, but to me several of the moves look like injuries waiting to happen, plus I do not believe Jillian has sufficient kbell training.

However, this morning I did Ada Janklowicz's Basic Training workout, and I truly believe she and Gilad are probably two of the very safest instructors, for those who need it. I have heard that Ada teaches Pilates these days (?). If so - or if she's otherwise still involved in fitness instruction - I truly wish she would bring out more DVDs. I her!!

[Scbayless]

Ok I read through all the posts and it's been interesting. Here is my thoughts

Safe- People connected with Anna Benson era firm. I find the orignal firms are well thought out. BUT, the instructors don't "teach" well in them. I think Tracie Long is a shining star of great form and form pointers. I learned a lot about leaning in to my glutes and not using my quads for many leg exercises from her. She is a total stickler about doing it right. I think someone CAN injure them self with some of her quicker movement work outs if they aren't listening to her form pointers and paying attention. So that is again, people being personally responsible for their own body and how it moves.



The newer firm is another thing to me. I think Emily (who I dub "gut girl") is one of the worst. I remember doing one video and she is doing lat rows and her back is totally swayed and her gut is just hanging out. It is HORRIBLE form.

For all I love the work out I think the Lalofit set isn't safe in new-bies hands. He gives few and far between form pointers. Someone jumping in I could see hurting them self easily.

[zumzum]

Wow, I'm really surprised at some of the above answers. I absolutely agree that people using workout DVDs are responsible for knowing their own limits and abilities, but I also firmly believe that the best instructors take the responsibility to do their own research before putting programs together to eliminate or modify potentially unsafe moves, and are stringent about demonstrating perfect form and providing lots of pointers during the workout. If I'm paying for a workout DVD, I'm paying for the instructor's expertise and I don't think I should be in a position where I'm responsible for double checking each and every move to see if it's validated as safe. And since the instructor isn't there to correct the user's form, I think they really need to shape their programs around that fact (particularly for instructors who are gearing workouts towards a novice audience).

I think Burr Leonard is an example of that--she (and her background exercisers) demonstrate excellent form and include lots of form pointers. From what I've heard, she's also eliminated several potentially dangerous moves from her DVDS that she uses in class because she's not comfortable with having people doing them at home without someone to check their form--to me, that's a responsible instructor. However, that doesn't imply that she's at fault if someone with a problematic knee uses her programs and injures themselves. Not every workout is for every body, and that's not something an instructor can control.

On the other hand, it drives me CRAZY when the instructor or a background exerciser has blatently bad form. The super grinny guy in Slim Series is an example of this--terrible terrible form on some of the upper body work, but the only reason I know this in reality is because other people on VF pointed it out. Do you really expect the average at-home exerciser to be responsible for googling those particular moves to verify whether he's doing it correctly? I wouldn't have even known what terms to look for. In that particular case, I think Debbie and the producers were negligent and should have edited shots of him doing it wrong out.

[FitBoop]

Originally Posted by zumzum

Wow, I'm really surprised at some of the above answers. I absolutely agree that people using workout DVDs are responsible for knowing their own limits and abilities, but I also firmly believe that the best instructors take the responsibility to do their own research before putting programs together to eliminate or modify potentially unsafe moves, and are stringent about demonstrating perfect form and providing lots of pointers during the workout. If I'm paying for a workout DVD, I'm paying for the instructor's expertise and I don't think I should be in a position where I'm responsible for double checking each and every move to see if it's validated as safe. And since the instructor isn't there to correct the user's form, I think they really need to shape their programs around that fact (particularly for instructors who are gearing workouts towards a novice audience).

I totally agree!

[fschulman]

I do not think Cathe should be considered a less safe instructor. I think she gives very detailed information on form and her cardio routines flow smoothly. However, most of her DVDs are for very advanced exercisers or for less advanced exercisers who know how to modify high impact or use lighter weights. Also, she does not market her DVDs as appropriate for all levels.

[FitBoop]

Some people here said that buyers of exercise videos are responsible for knowing what they can or should be able to do or not do, or which exercises may cause them injuries. That point of view places the burden on buyers of exercise videos to assume the risk. In my opinion, responsibility for the safety of a product falls on the maker of the product. The onus should not be placed upon the purchasing public to assume the risk. If the product is sold to the general public for home use, then the product should be safe for the use for which it is intended.

There are standards in every industry, including fitness, to which professionals in the industry selling products or services, are expected to adhere. It makes more sense to expect an exercise instructor to be educated about fitness than to expect a member of the general public to be educated about fitness. It makes more sense for the maker of an exercise video to be responsible for including safe exercises in the product being sold by the maker, than it does to expect a purchaser of the product to do research into whether the content of the video is safe. It makes no sense to me to expect a purchaser to have to figure out how she should change or modify the content of the video to make it safer.

If a healthy, fit person becomes injured doing an exercise video, then it is foreseeable that others could be injured doing the video. That is why I think it is valuable to have opinions here regarding safety of videos and instructors.

[ldy_solana]

i don't have P90x but wanted to comment on shoulder rotations. they are actually very good therapy exercises and should be included in a workout for joint mobility HOWEVER, from what i have seen in the clips the moves are done quickly which MAY cause injury. if it were a slower 2/2 or even 4/4 count with controlled motion it is very good for the shoulder joints. we use a lot of leg/back/shoulder muscles/joints throughout our day and it is these areas that are first to get injured doing the simplest of life's tasks. keeping them mobile and strong can prevent it.

i agree that while some of us should be responsible for ourselves, but it is not up to us 100% to research every exercise. if that were the case all of you would be joining me in class (not that i think that is a bad thing i would love to have some of you with me LOL i can't relate studywise with the young 'uns) and to become majors in the field. i see the dvds as listening to advice from a specialist, you expect to get the best advice and information. to some level we should know what we are capable of handling in forms of exercise and research THOSE options but if we are being taught bad form, then how would we know and why would that be 100% our fault. we are expected good advice from those teaching us, hence why they made the video and not us.

and i don't think that if i a lower my impact that means i am less advanced or less intense. i just chose not to jump quite as much that doesn't mean i am still not working hard. some impact is very good for the bones but for some that modify it may not be from fitness level rather then old injuries that excessive jumping may cause more harm than good. don't confuse low impact with low intensity or lower fitness levels. i find cathe's LIC just as advanced as her higher impact stuff but less stressful on a bum hip and knee, i am still active and working to my full potential(and far beyond what some would expect with those injuries) and that is more important. but that is JMHO.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

I agree that fitness professionals should present good form and form pointers in their videos. They are presenting themselves as professionals and have a responsibility to model correct demonstrations, certainly.

I am a bit uncomfortable, however, with an instructor being labeled as 'unsafe' just because one exerciser, however advanced or experienced, sustained an injury doing a workout. That's not to say the injured exerciser shouldn't post an 'FYI--I sustained a (fill in the blank) injury doing (fill in the blank move) in so-and-so's workout.' But saying "I hurt myself, therefore this is unsafe" feels a little too much like a blanket denunciation of an instructor.

Many have chimed in to say they haven't had a problem with some of the instructors/exercises others have had problems with, so to declare them universally 'unsafe' makes me uneasy.