Rant Alert

So I was incorrect about my exercise class instructors last week, as I was rudely reminded because I had the instructor whose class I don't like for today's weight class. She is a very nice person; I just dislike her classes. Especially her weights classes.

Today, we started with biceps then moved onto inner thigh followed by triceps. The absolute last muscle groups we did were hamstrings and quadriceps. I have an issue with working smaller muscle groups first because it becomes virtually impossible to adequately exhaust larger muscle groups when the small ones are pre-fatigued.

And I know from experience that this is a good way to get hurt. I pulled my rotator cuff in this instructor's very class several years ago because my shoulder muscles were exhausted before we did upper back. Now I am careful to use light weights on the early sets of small muscle groups so I don't get hurt. What I should do is check the schedule and skip class in favor of the weight room when she teaches.

My other issue is that this teacher provides very little, if any, instruction on proper form. Today, I saw several participants doing lunges with a narrow stance and knees jutting way over their front feet. I also saw people hyper extending their knees and elbows in various exercises and pulling too hard on their necks during sit ups. Incorrect form is another recipe for injury.

I learned what I know about weight lifting at Mike's Olympic Gym in Mechanicsville in the early 90s. Scouter's brother Mark was living here at the time and he thoroughly researched gyms before joining Mike's. He recommended that I try it, and I went there for about a year until I changed jobs and the commute was too much. Although I was intimidated by the overabundance of testosterone there, I stuck with it as long as I did because of Mike. He took the time to show each member the correct way to perform every exercise, and he and his staff were vigilant about proper form always. My program changed every three months; it was like having a personal trainer for every workout.

Now I don't expect Mike's level of customization and attention from the Y, but I do expect to take a class that doesn't set me up for injury. Am I wrong?