It’s been said that a monkey could be trained to be a Vibration Training Instructor. So does that mean instructors don’t ever have to think?
Not at all! The statement that a monkey could be taught to instruct reflects the simplicity of the 1-2-3-4 steps that are necessary to get into each position on the machine.
Push Up:
- Kneel in front of unit.
- Place hands on outside edge of mat.
- Drop pelvis so a straight line is made between knees and shoulders.
- When machine starts, drop body halfway towards plate. Make sure hands are in line with chest, not shoulders.
- Look down towards knees (very important) as looking up even for a second can cause stress to neck area.
- Hold pose and relax for duration of exercise.
The Instructor’s job begins before the customer ever gets near the machine. For a newcomer there’s the pre-training health screen to be filled in and discussed, then a quick introduction to vibration training before the customer begins their session. Regular customers get a greeting and a quick catch up if they haven’t been in for a while.
It’s very important that customers tell the instructor of any injuries or health concerns they have so the instructor can be vigilant in watching over them in poses that might impact on those areas; if necessary correcting them or even moving them to an alternate version of the position, or to another machine. An example of this is using a machine with side handle bars for support when a customer has a knee injury; when using the Safety Program the position, known as “Ski the Slopes” (the position resembles a skier going downhill) replaces the regular “Super Squat”. Using side handle bars allows the customer with knee injury to maintain perfect position and get full benefit from training. With a perfect 110° vibration training squat they are helping their knees to heal and their core to strengthen.
So could a trained monkey work as a vibration training instructor? Just to assist most customers into correct position, the answer would have to be, yes!
One big difference between a trained monkey and a good instructor is the ability to ensure customers with special needs get the attention they need and so get all the benefits of vibration training or therapy without risk. I doubt a monkey is able to do this. In the future will we see studios with just one human instructor and a staff of intelligent androids?
