| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 6:08:23 AM | How do I convince my trainer that I'd rather do cardio outdoors and spend my gym time with weights. I feel like he isn't listening to me, but then I sort of think maybe he knows something I dont.
I prefer to bike and jog outdoors, in the gym I want to focus on weight training and proper form. Should I make an attempt to change my trainers strategy or should I submit to the expertise I am paying for? | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 6:29:27 AM | Didn't you sign up with a trainer for their expert advice? Why would they not want you to exercise outside? Is it because they cannot monitor you? A few years back I hired a trainer, some of the best money I ever spent. I always listened to her advice.
The thing with personal trainers is this, you need to make sure you have the right one, if you are questioning your trainers strategy, perhaps you have the wrong trainer. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 6:40:56 AM | You might be right, he probably wants to monitor me. I'll give it some time since the weather is less than ideal right now anyway. I will ask him if that is the reason.
I live on the beach. On a pretty day, I cant stand the treadmill/stationary bike. I end up getting more exercise outdoors where it seems more like play than work. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 8:07:54 AM | I'm guessing you're fairly new to the gym? Haven't worked out much before?
It also would have helped if you had described how your trainer told you to do cardio at the gym. Because in *most* cases you should do a decent warm-up on the treadmill or elliptical (or w/e you like really) for anywhere from 5-20 minutes (depending on your stamina and what you'll be working at the gym that day). You can still do the bulk of your cardio outside but you should always be warming up on the machines before you get into your lifts. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 11:15:22 AM | | A lot of personal trainers know nothing about working out at all. It amazes me how many times I see them showing people incorrect form when doing weights or telling them out of date techniques or advocating machines over free weights. Stop paying him. Do your cardio out doors which is IMHO better anywy. When you go to the gym to warm up strech your muscles then do 20 reps of the excerise your about to do before going heavy. Simple as. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 11:55:20 AM |
A lot of personal trainers know nothing about working out at all. It amazes me how many times I see them showing people incorrect form when doing weights or telling them out of date techniques or advocating machines over free weights.
I agree with this member.
Some of these people who call themselves personal trainers are nothing more than gym greeters and they are there to show new members around.
In the free weight area of a gym, you will learn more from the other members. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/5/2008 12:18:41 PM | Not new to the gym but I am new to this trainer. I've just moved to an island where my choices are limited. I think I'll give this dude some time, but I'm still going to mention that I prefer outdoor cardio everytime we talk.
I'll get on the bike and ride 20-30 miles on a pretty day just for the sheer pleasure of it, but put me on a bike in a gym and I feel like its a poor use of gym time. I go to the gym to build muscle, I can get cardio anywhere.
I'll give this guy a little more time to listen to me, in the meantime, I'll listen to every word he says. Just to see. Maybe he just doesnt like muscle on women.
He asked me to cut back on protein but I wont mess with my nutrition. If I dont eat clean, I cant build muscle at all. Women dont have enough testosterone and I refuse to use supplements, so the ONLY way I'm gonna build muscle is to eat/drink my protein.
This trainer also recommended an Advil regimen for my injured knee to reduce inflammation. He said if I took 4 Advil every 5 hours for 48 hours that the inflamed knee will improve. I'm afraid to take that much so I have been taking 4 every 12 hours and it really does seem to be working, even tho it sounds sort of insane and I'm worried about what it's doing to my liver.
I would never take more than vitamins for supplements.
I'm just having a little trouble adjusting to the new guy, but I'm on the rural end of a small island and I only have a few choices, this is just the first guy I've worked out with since I've been here. I want to keep all my bridges open, so I will give him some time.
If it doesnt work out, I still dont want to offend him. In a place this small, everyone knows everyone. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 4:43:05 AM | Re: msg 7
I think you're taking the right approach here, PostPunk. As someone alluded to before, it's not bad that you're questioning your trainer's advice, as there are tons of unqualified trainers out there (not saying your guy is one of them) and workout advice is often not black and white anyway. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 11:58:13 AM | Ok Post Punk
Its time to get a new trainer. For one he is not a doctor and should not be telling you how much advil to take!!!! For one there are natural anti inflamitories out there that work better but two if you have a knee issue you need to address the problem not conceal it with pain killers.
2nd protein is needed for muscle regeneration. Is he a nutrionist? Probably not since most personal trainers are not. There is a formula for how much you do intake and you should see a certified nutrionist to figure this out.
Now I can see him putting you on a machine to do cardio if you are training in a specific zone. Much easier to maintain a set heart rate when you don't need to worry about hills, stops signs etc. A good trainer will know this but they will also tell you why you are doing something. Remeber that you are paying for him. Not the otherway around.
It is way to easy to get over trained or cause major injuries if you are not trained properly. I'm a coach for our local triathalon club and race mt bikes at an elite level. I have different people taking care of my nutrion, weight training and recovery. Not just one who say they can do it all. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 12:05:05 PM | I can tell he's not right for me because I'm not motivated. I will use his facilities because they are close to my home, but I think I'm going to be looking elsewhere for advice.
There's a kettlebell studio I've been wanting to check out, its a bit of a drive. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 5:32:35 PM | You paid for the expertise, I would listen to him. What's the use of having toned muscles if you have a layer of fat overlaying them?
I think what he is trying to tell you is your NEED cardio more than lifting weights. Cardio burns calories, and is generally hardest for people to stick with. You need someone telling you to do cardio...if you were doing it on your own, you wouldn't need the trainer.
Listen to him. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 8:02:34 PM | You have a point Joe. That is part of the reason I pay someone to kick my butt.
I'm thinking of a compromise, I'll do my cardio before my sessions with him and ride the bike to the gym. I'll get up an hour early in the am and see how it feels. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/6/2008 10:26:24 PM | Talk to a different trainer. My trainer wont even touch cardio with me. Told me "See those bikes, those treadmills, that's cardio" than he promptly walked me over to every machine in the place and proceeded to kick my a$$.
Remember your muscle is metabolically active, your fat is not. The more muscle you have the more fat you burn during cardio sessions, and during normal operations including sleeping. I can't find the link right now, but its something like a pound of muscle burns 35-50 calories per day, add ten lbs of muscle and your burning 3lbs a month by just breathing basically. It also can improve your metabolism up to 15% by just working out with weights.
Cardio is great and all, but I didnt start losing big numbers (fat) and start adding definition until I hit the weights. 100lbs down so far... Somethings working :D | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/7/2008 8:33:13 AM | Wow, 100 pounds is amazing. Congrats.
Id like to gain another 10 pounds of lean muscle while I reduce my bodyfat to 18%. I realize that I need to make my trainer understand my goals better.
He keeps trying to worm his way into my nutrition, but that is the ONE THING I have finally figured out and I am not really looking for a change yet. I'm just now getting comfortable with my food and it would be a bad time to mess with it. My diet is so clean right now, I cant understand his concern. Maybe he doesnt believe me.  | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/7/2008 12:39:46 PM | | ditch the PT - you're calling the shots and if doesn't listen then he's useless as are most gym PTs | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/10/2008 6:54:31 PM | I guess I'm lucky, I found a trainer that knows both nutrition and fitness, and she competes in fitness as well. She would never try to take my protein out of my diet, or ask me to do anything that I'm uncomfortable with.
I actually came across her services by accident, and I'm incredibly glad I did! | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 12:31:50 AM | I know, right!? It's damaging my motivation, but I've had a weird week anyway.
Ive been on the bike some this week, I need to get back into lifting. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 2:19:30 AM | | What are your goals, how many times a week do you train, and what routiine does he have you doing? | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 8:33:54 AM | My short term goals are to be a better surfer, succesfully do a pull up and get my routine stablized.
My long term goals are to gain 10 pounds of muscle mass while reducing my body fat to 18%-20% range.
He has me doing 30 minutes of cardio (my last trainer wouldnt let me do more than a 10 minute warm up) even tho he knows I'm doing lots of cardio outside the gym. At the moment he also has me doing weight machines.
I'd like to develop my upper body strength and move on into free weights. All my strength is in my legs. My core needs to be a lot stronger too. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 8:45:54 AM | Your trainer is an idiot. I bet if you asked him to justify why he is training you the way he is, he wouldn't be able to justify it.
Why if your goals are to be a better surfer and do a pullup are they training you with steady state aerobic stuff? How is that going to teach you balance, core strength and develop upper body strength so you can do a pullup? How is training non-glycolytic energy pathways going to help you with strength based goals?
Sounds to me like your trainer is lazy and is training you this way because it's easier for them to watch you slog away on the treadmill for half an hour than it is to train you properly. Either that or they're just pig ignorant and have no idea what they're doing. One way or another, you don't want them as a trainer.
You need to do some sport and goal specific training. Ditch the steady state aerobic stuff. You're not training to be a distance runner, so stop training like you're trying to be a distance runner.
Ditch the machines and start doing some free weight stuff. You want to do a pullup? Start doing pullups. You can use the lat pulldown, assisted pullup machine or even do reverse rows at an increasing incline until you're pulling vertically rather than horizontally and have built up enough lat and bicep strength to do a real pullup.
My advice would be to ditch the imbecile you have training you and start training properly. Squats, front squats, overhead squats, deadlifts, bent over rows, clean and jerks, assisted pullups, that sort of thing. All things that will develop a strong core and excellent upper body strength so that you can successfully reach your goals.
Again, for balance for your surfing I would look at doing stuff like single legged squats, and possibly even bosu ball squats.
But for God's sake ditch your trainer ASAP, because he is totally clueless. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 9:05:31 AM | Thanks for reinforcing my instincts. I took a short term trial membership with this guy, when it's over, I'll move on.
I still might use the gym simply because its so close to my home, but I am looking for another trainer and when I find them, I would become a member where they are. I guess from now on with any new person I will seek a trial period. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 9:13:14 AM | I don't really see why you need a trainer. You can train yourself extremely successfully if you're willing to invest a bit of time on the internet scrutinising sources of information and disseminating the useless from the useful.
I've gone from being built like Frankie Muniz to being quite a bit more muscular than your average MH cover model in a little over 2 years and I'm still gaining well, and I've never been trained, I've just read things, tried things and experimented with my own ideas and completely transformed my physique.
I'm sure you probably have some idea who the posters here who know their stuff are, and who are the fools. I'm sure if you posted up a thread detailing your goals and asking for an appropriate routine based on your goals and schedule that you would get several responses, and more than likely the ones that were sensible and well thought out would be extremely obvious to you more or less immediately, in part because the posters of them would be able to justify their exercise selection logically. | |
|
| Making the most of gym time
Posted: 1/11/2008 9:38:06 AM | I just feel sort of lost and unmotivated unless I have a trainer. I'm kind of a bum, lol.
I like riding my bike and playing in the water. I'd still be riding a skateboard if I wasnt old and injured.
I'm not the kind of person who would be able to successfully work out at home by myself. I still need some outside help. It's a mental thing.
I've thought about going to a "muscle head" gym and just telling them I'm a noob and let them kick my ass. At least that way, I'd be sure to get some training with free weights. It's just everytime I go in there it's full of huge, massive, noisy guys that make the floor shake and I get wide eyed and intimidated, lol.
I have to work on my mental focus, apparently. This new trainer is bumming me out.
Thanks for thinking about my situation, I'm leaving now to spend some time with my bike. I guess that means I'm avoiding the gym again today. | |
|
| Most trainers are waste of money and clueless
Posted: 1/12/2008 5:20:53 PM | I lost 100 pounds of fat over six years ago without a trainer.
I joined a gym, read tons of books and websites on diet, exercise and fitness and added weight training, high intense (HIT) cardio sessions outside and inside and the lard came off.
In fact, unless the trainer is an elite certified strength and conditioning coach and has trained athletes most are waste of time and money.
High protein, healthy fats and less carbs work well for diet. I usually eat several small meals and lift a few days a week. Consistency is the key. I love working out and eating healthy. I feel better and look better. | |
|
| Most trainers are waste of money and clueless
Posted: 2/23/2008 6:46:40 PM | | I have no idea why people need trainers. If they just don't know how to exercise it is one thing but to do it so someone forces you to workout, give me a break. Grow the fuk up and motivate yourself. | |
|
Home
login 
