I have a meeting w/a personal trainer at the gym tomorrow.
I'm a little skeptical since it is one provided by the gym, I'm not sure of their qualifications, but I thought I'd try it out and see.
I know when my DH met w/one, he could barely move for 2 days. I'm not sure if the trainer pushed him too hard, or if DH pushed himself too hard (he has a habit of doing that in other areas of his life.)
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: He was really pushing strenth training over cardio. I know you need both, but he was trying to say that weight loss is 30% nutrition, 10% cardio and 60% strength training...that seems lopsided to me. Maybe for straight weight loss, but that doens't seem to me to be the best ratio for over all health.
Bee, or another knowledgeable person, please correct me if I'm wrong...
Mostly, I don't disagree with what he said about nutrion, other than that he was pusing protien a little too much. He was trying to say, if you're going to be doing a lot of strength training, that you should be eating about 1 gr. of protein for every pound you weigh. That seems like WAY too much to me.
Dawn
Dawn All my personal training course work said the same thing - that strength training is more important than cardio if your goal is weight loss. Weight training more effectively sculpts your body, increases resting metabolism, etc...
HOWEVER, for overall health and wellbeing, doing a minimum of 3 -4 days/week of cardio is necessary as well (and my stuff recommends 30 mins per session).
As for the protein thing - 1 g per pound is for body builders who are at the gym for hours at a time trying to get big. That is WAY too much protein for a recreational lifter.
P.S. I've never seen nor heard of a formula for weight loss. If there was one, we wouldn't have an obesity problem ; )
Bee,
I must be thinking along the right track than, because I had pretty much decided I would do weight training 3 days/week and cardio 3-4 for at least 30 mins. This is my longer term goal. I'm starting a little slower to not burn myself out. For example, this week I will have gone to the gym 3x's. I hope to increase it to 4x's next week and so on.
Think I'll stick to the food philosophy I know and that has been working for me.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
IMHO, the most important "rule" is to find an exercise/activity that you enjoy, so you will continue to do it.
Yes, I still use my treadmill. I started with a cardio emphasis, and now have a weight training emphasis. As for weight loss, a burned calorie is a burned calorie, regardless of which type of exercise caused it to be burned.
From the Mayo Clinic:
"With strength training, you'll look great and you'll feel great. But that's not the only positive side effect. Strong muscles will help you maintain balance and coordination. With extra muscle power working behind the scenes, you'll feel revitalized and have more energy to finish all of the items on your daily to-do list. Regular strength training will also help you:
Increase your strength and stability. Strong muscles enhance your ability to move and lift things.
Maintain and increase your bone mineral density. Working your body with weights increases bone density and decreases your risk of osteoporosis. When bone is stressed appropriately through muscle movement, it gets stronger.
Control body fat by boosting your metabolic rate. When you lose muscle, your body gradually becomes less efficient at burning calories. That's because muscle burns three times more calories than fat does. The more muscle mass your body has, the more efficiently and quickly it burns calories, even when you're at rest.
Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle protects your joints from injury during aerobic exercise and in normal daily activities. Strength training also helps protect your lower back and keep it healthy.
Improve your overall body image. Studies suggest that women who strength train feel more self-confident and have an improved body image.
Consider the sobering alternative — if you don't use your muscles, you lose your muscles. Muscle mass diminishes with age, and your muscles will shrink if they're not used. Especially important for older women, strength training decreases your risk of falls and increases your strength and stability, helping you maintain your independence — reason enough to begin a strength-training program."
I have found both strength training and cardio to be helpful and necessary to my good health. I find that my new muscles make me look better even when I'm not losing weight.
Also, flexibility is the third part of the exercise equation that everyone forgets about. I think yoga is my absolute favorite exercise. I even gave some thought to getting certified to teach it... well, maybe AFTER I get the Ph.D.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: He was really pushing strenth training over cardio. I know you need both, but he was trying to say that weight loss is 30% nutrition, 10% cardio and 60% strength training...that seems lopsided to me. Maybe for straight weight loss, but that doens't seem to me to be the best ratio for over all health.
Bee, or another knowledgeable person, please correct me if I'm wrong...
Mostly, I don't disagree with what he said about nutrion, other than that he was pusing protien a little too much. He was trying to say, if you're going to be doing a lot of strength training, that you should be eating about 1 gr. of protein for every pound you weigh. That seems like WAY too much to me.
Dawn
Dawn All my personal training course work said the same thing - that strength training is more important than cardio if your goal is weight loss. Weight training more effectively sculpts your body, increases resting metabolism, etc...
HOWEVER, for overall health and wellbeing, doing a minimum of 3 -4 days/week of cardio is necessary as well (and my stuff recommends 30 mins per session).
As for the protein thing - 1 g per pound is for body builders who are at the gym for hours at a time trying to get big. That is WAY too much protein for a recreational lifter.
P.S. I've never seen nor heard of a formula for weight loss. If there was one, we wouldn't have an obesity problem ; )
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: He said he doesn't recommend cardio more than 4 x's per week and only for 20 mins at a time. That doesn't seem like enough to me.
Dawn
Dawn - I had a trainer tell me the same thing, and I thought it was strange, too. When I told my doc I was doing 20 mins, he told me I should be doing at least 30 at a time. I listened to my doc and try to do at least 30.
Mel
The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start. - John "the Penguin" Bingham [/I]
Posts: 590 | Location: Nashville | Registered: April 05, 2004
Strenth training on all the fancy machines keeps you in the gym and paying your gym membership.
He promotes cardio and tells you to do some lunges... you can go for a run and lunge for free.
Although, most likely, it is his personal philosophy…
It also probably something to do with the personality of the people draw to the personal training profession… They are people who like gyms and enjoy the weight machines.
And it is also our basic American mindset, “If some is good, more must be better.”
I can open my own jars and flip the mattress and carry a tuba, a baritone and a trombone up a flight of stairs. At a certain point, we all have to decide, “I’m strong enough… and have enough muscles.”
Gotta go to work, now (and finally get off the computer) and move lunch tables and carry 40 lbs of instruments and 20 lbs of method books into the room .
Also, what you enjoy is probably the BIGGEST consideration...
I don't like weight machines. I didn't enjoy belonging to a gym. It doesn't work for me. But a lot of people REALLY, REALLY like it and get a lot out of it.
A personal trainer could read me the benefits of weights all day long... but I'd rather do cardio. I enjoy it (as much as I enjoy exercise...), so I will do it.
Something you enjoy and you will actually do counts BIG time.
quote:...But, I feel that weights are sort of like the "low carb" of the exercise world and the current darling of personal trainers. Just my opinion. ...
On the other hand, others believe that, like low-carb diets, cardio is an old fad that deserves to fade away.
The logic he gave makes sense in that, you have to have more muscle to burn more calories and that strenght training builds muscles. I don't have so much of a problem that they are promoting strenght training, but under promotiong cardio. He said he doesn't recommend cardio more than 4 x's per week and only for 20 mins at a time. That doesn't seem like enough to me.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Melstruck: Is there another trainer at the club that you would be more comfortable with? This is, of course, if they have more than one trainer. At our place, you can ask to be switched if it isn't working out for you. Ask the head of personal training or fitness. Let him/her know that it's not personal, you just want someone with a different philosophy - they should be understanding. The bottom line is, if you're not comfortable, you probably won't stick with it anyway, so it won't hurt to ask.
Mel
Firstly, I'm not going to continue with the personal trainer thing right now, because I can't afford it. Secondly, I think they all teach the same thing,because the one my DH worked with told him all the same stuff.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
Is there another trainer at the club that you would be more comfortable with? This is, of course, if they have more than one trainer. At our place, you can ask to be switched if it isn't working out for you. Ask the head of personal training or fitness. Let him/her know that it's not personal, you just want someone with a different philosophy - they should be understanding. The bottom line is, if you're not comfortable, you probably won't stick with it anyway, so it won't hurt to ask.
Mel
The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start. - John "the Penguin" Bingham [/I]
Posts: 590 | Location: Nashville | Registered: April 05, 2004
quote:...But, I feel that weights are sort of like the "low carb" of the exercise world and the current darling of personal trainers. Just my opinion. ...
On the other hand, others believe that, like low-carb diets, cardio is an old fad that deserves to fade away.
Dawn, The swim sounds like a good idea. I found that getting my food in line was the first key to weight loss. I did no weights the entire time I was losing - I only walked. It worked and I toned up a fair amount.
I don't think that there is a magic formula. Basically, you have to consume fewer calories than you expend to lose weight. I wish there was another way, though...
quote:Originally posted by Tayhudson: He was really pushing strenth training over cardio. I know you need both, but he was trying to say that weight loss is 30% nutrition, 10% cardio and 60% strength training...
I hit my goal weight eating well and doing cardio 3-4 days a week. Only "strength training" I've ever done is pushups and crunches and about 10 mins of butt and leg exercises a week...
Granted, my personal experience doesn't make for a scientific study... But, I feel that weights are sort of like the "low carb" of the exercise world and the current darling of personal trainers. Just my opinion.
Have a great swim tonight and stretch out! Keep us posted on your gym experience!
OUCH! I'm sore today. I feel okay if I've been up moving around, but if I sit too long, it REALLY hurts when I get up. Since I have a desk job, I can't really be up running around a lot. I'm planning to swim today, so I hope that helps loosen me up a bit.
I think the trainer was ok. Not great and I don't think I agree with a lot of what he was saying. He was really pushing strenth training over cardio. I know you need both, but he was trying to say that weight loss is 30% nutrition, 10% cardio and 60% strength training...that seems lopsided to me. Maybe for straight weight loss, but that doens't seem to me to be the best ratio for over all health.
Bee, or another knowledgeable person, please correct me if I'm wrong...
Mostly, I don't disagree with what he said about nutrion, other than that he was pusing protien a little too much. He was trying to say, if you're going to be doing a lot of strength training, that you should be eating about 1 gr. of protein for every pound you weigh. That seems like WAY too much to me.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
I was sore the first couple of times I met with the trainer. She is great. Don't be afraid to ask him about his background.
I also agree with Bee. If you feel your being pushed to far, then tell them. Maybe they can modify the exercise, do a different one or lighten the amount of weight.
Serene
Summer Se7en Challenge Goals
1. Binge control: no more than 2 times per week 2. Think positive and give credit for all the little successes 3. Go swimming
I don't know if you remember when I joined the gym that I was with before, but I could barely move for 3 days after meeting for the first time with the trainer. The second time I met with him (a week later) I was only sore for part of the following day. When I posted about how sore I was, everyone here said that that is normal to be that sore after doing a weight routine for the first time.
Blessings,
Lori
Re-committing myself to a healthy lifestyle that will include regular (and increasing) exercise, and following the baby steps rule on food. 6/17/08
Posts: 3146 | Location: California | Registered: March 11, 2004
I don't mind being somewhat sore, but not to the point where I'm miserable.
I know there are many gyms that have great personal trainers, and there are others that train their trainers in a few days, and then you have their certification. (I'm not sure if this is one of those, but I have heard from a client of mine that has a degree in Exercise Science,that this place does that.) We'll see...
I'm looking forward to it.
Dawn
"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You have to set yourself on fire." anonymous
Posts: 4302 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: March 15, 2004
Dawn, I am curious to see how it goes. It was helpful for me to see a trainer for a couple visits as I was needing some clear direction about a weight routine. I made sure that I had my goals and questions in mind and written down. I also asked the trainer to write out the details of the visit so that I had a written plan to follow. Hope it goes well. It was helpful for me.
