workout

hummingangel

hello, i need to know if i am overreacting here. I started working out with a personal trainer (has been years since i worked out, am obese and have asthma) i explained all this to him. yet we did workout where i couldnt feel my arms afterwards and for the next three days couldnt even brush my hair cuz i couldnt lift my arms. Then we did another workout that left me gasping for air in the gym. not just breathing hard but gaping where i couldnt even drink my water. yet he still wanted me to keep working out. i want to stop but people are telling me no pain no gain.

CoffeeNCardio

Well it depends. Have you talked to this trainer about this? Does he know this is how you're feeling? If you haven't talked to him and explained that this is killing you, he's not gonna know and he's gonna think you're doing fine. A good trainer, when well informed by you, isn't gonna fry you every workout. He wants your business. He's not gonna do anything that'll risk him losing you and possibly getting a bad rep at your gym.

If you have talked to him about this and he's blown you off, you need to find a different trainer. Yes, muscle soreness and a little minor suffering accompany a workout program, but if you're in this much pain and he's not letting you drink water, that's a whole other thing. A good trainer would push you past your limits as you imagine them, but not past a safe and healthy limit.

Frankly, whichever it is, I'd say it's probably a good idea you get a new trainer regardless, and maybe vet them better this time. A trainer is like a doctor. This person is gonna have some authority and control over your health and wellbeing, so you don't just pick one out of a hat, you need to interview and talk to them about your plans and desires and whatnot and see if their thinking is in line with yours. I mean, you wouldn't choose a primary care doctor who didn't believe in a healthy diet if you are a firm healthy diet supporter would you?

lgrix

Are you doing any workouts between trainer sessions? You may want to start building up your fitness level so that when you work with your trainer you will get more benefit from it and not hurt so much. It does hurt when you first start, but if you start out too fast you risk getting injured. A good trainer will recognize the difference. You need to give your trainer feedback from your workouts so that he can adjust the intensity.

nordlead2005

DOMS can be pretty bad (what you were probably experiencing when you couldn't move your arms), but if you continue with the same program should diminish. I typically can't really walk if I take a couple weeks off and then try to squat at a decent level. However, now I might get a dull ache at worse. You probably should have stopped if your arms went numb though, because you can injure yourself and not even know it. If your trainer insists you exercise when limbs go numb, then it is time to find a new trainer.

As for the cardio, it sounds like it was on the extreme end but ok. If he tries to push you til you throw up, then that is bad. If you just can't drink water while exercising, then there isn't any harm. I don't drink at all while exercising, but will after I start cooling down.

If you want to take it easier/slower, then either talk to him, do it yourself without a trainer, or find a trainer who will take it at a slower pace.

strong_curves

You're paying him/her, talk to them again and let them know you might have to take it a bit easier at first since you haven't worked out in years. Yeah, no pain no gain but if you can't feel your arms then it's too much.

ryry_

I think what is in vogue right now are these high intensity, high volume, low rest cardio strength programs that are almost boot camp style workouts. I'm assuming this what your doing? (eg. 10 Pushings, following by 25 jump squats, following by 20 burpees with no rest)

IMO, these are very poorly suited to beginners who haven't built up a tolerance to any of those aspects. Also, the goal is to get to a point where you enjoy the gym and look forward to it but if you are in absolute agony that seems like you will probably come to associate the gym in a negative manner.

Many males and females on the board alike have found traditional strength training to be a very empowering and rewarding activity that builds confidence and character without the suffering and agony you are going through. I would ask your traininer to get you on a beginner strength training program that has focusing on progressively increasing your strength as the goal rather than to have laying in a pile of your own sweat and vomit. If he is resistant I would venture to guess he is not a very good trainer and is just following some sheet his gym gave him.

** Some people enjoy the boot camp type workouts when they can go at your own pace and not kill themselves so it may just be him not letting you go at more your own pace that is the problem **