Boss doesn't want my clients to train with barbells. Help!

[NeilTheCanadian]

Hey everyone, I'm a strength coach at a Jewish community center gym outside Toronto. Most of my clients are 50-70 year old women, and everyone who I've worked with has seen awesome results on the SSLP. The barbell area of my gym is now populated pretty much exclusively with people in the training demographic of my clients, and for some reason my supervisor consistently discourages me from training people in barbells, and is always talking about how machines could help them better. How can I convince My supervisor to keep using the starting strength method without risking my job as im doing really well here, but it seems my boss wants me to not have successful clients or something. Help!

[Mark E. Hurling]

Your boss is probably concerned about a fall or injury from barbells that many machines tend to prevent or minimize. I'd suggest that you work on how to overcome his concern over that. You could also collect articles from the archives here about success training the elderly, as well as some of the elderly who train here.

[autumnal]

I doubt you can. The power dynamics between a supervisor and worker are such that overcoming his opinion can be precarious. He's your boss, do what he says, or find another job where you have more freedom. Not trying to stifle you, just hate to see a work relationship jeopardized over a difference in opinion.

At my gym, all the trainers have the over 50 crowd on machines instead of barbells. Not what I'd do, but it's not my gym.

[jfsully]

Give him oe her a copy of The Barbell Prescription and point him to Sully’s videos and this site. If he sees that you’re not a lone renegade nut who will expose the center to lawsuits by doing something way outside of the norms, you may have a chance.

Or, you could just offer your boss free coaching and get them very strong!

[SteveL]

Give him oe her a copy of The Barbell Prescription and point him to Sully’s videos and this site. If he sees that you’re not a lone renegade nut who will expose the center to lawsuits by doing something way outside of the norms, you may have a chance.

Or, you could just offer your boss free coaching and get them very strong!

All of the above!