FITNESS TRIBUNE No 1 English

Dr. Gottlob column

 In my opinion all of these benefits far outweigh the disadvan tages of increased usage and the requirement to hold discus sions now and then. Let’s therefore not neglect our competitive athletes! They help our fitness enthusiasts to achieve their aims more efficiently. be different. These are athletes of medium ability who have never entered a competition but hold themselves for unbeatable anyway. They have never had to come to terms with a sporting defeat and their behaviour is, in general, rather unfitting. This is when a discussion becomes necessary in which the gym man agement must make the athlete aware of his behaviour. This of course, requires leadership qualities which instructors and own ers often do not possess. The purpose of this discussion is not to dismiss a member from the club but to develop awareness of the bahaviour problem displayed in the gym. The problem isn’t the bodybuilders themselves - the prob lem lies in the manner of dealing (or not dealing) with them. In many cases this is something that has never been learnt. Instructors with very little training experience and low-to-no training success are often out of their depth when it comes to direct contact with members. They often lack suitable leader ship qualities and, from the professional point of view, theoreti cal studies or knowledge gained on various fitness courses actu ally conflict with practical know-how. This often leads to a per son’s authority being undermined or arguments arising because one person decides to defend his “right”. The preferred option is a two-way exchange - the desired result is to achieve a real improvement of training skills on both sides. Clearly, there are some instances that must lead to a member being barred. This should however, have nothing to do with muscle size but depend much more upon the behaviour of the member. For example, account must be taken should the gym rules be repeatedly broken, should there be any cases of dop ing substances being used in the gym, or should a situation of threatening behaviour and a marked tendency to “territory ownership” arise. Hold a clear discussion with competitive athletes before they join. In particular, make them aware that many members feel subconsciously threatened by the physical superiority of bodybuilders and that friendly and easy going behaviour on their part is consequently necessary. What advantages does the fitness club have if bodybuilders or other competitive athletes train there/ are allowed to train there? 1. The equipment available at the club is often better. 2. The range of training possibilities and professionalism is underlined. Facilities can never be poor where competi tive athletes go to train! A member is more likely to achieve his/her dream body here. 3. Well-trained athletes in the lower to middle performance class also set an example for behaviour. Even if others don’t particularly wish to achieve the same form fitness enthusi asts often ask the competitive athletes for tips and advice. 4. In my opinion, the most important point is the increased animation and motivation in the gym. Competitive athletes seem to generate an aura of energy around them. Energy that motivates, that enables harder training and leads to faster success. A definite training atmosphere is palpable - one that helps everyone to conquer their weaker self much faster and easier. Should this “atmosphere” be lacking then the instructors must generate it themselves - and there are but few trained instructors who have the ability to create such a training atmosphere.

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Fitness Tribune International 1