Ask a Personal Trainer/Gym Owner
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I ride about 150 miles a week. I also have a job where I'm on my feet all day. At lunch time I climb up and down the stairs 10x in a 4-story building. I also do a lot of hiking.0
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Lisa_Ookoo wrote: »I am a 57- year-old female cyclist, 5'6" tall and 122 lbs. I maintain that weight on 2000 calories a day. I want to start lifting to improve my upper body strength. Do I need to eat more calories to build muscle?
Yes.0 -
Lisa_Ookoo wrote: »I ride about 150 miles a week. I also have a job where I'm on my feet all day. At lunch time I climb up and down the stairs 10x in a 4-story building. I also do a lot of hiking.
AH...yes the job makes a huge difference. I sit on my *kitten* all day. It's unfortunate, but that's my type of work. And 150 miles a week is a lot. 20 miles in a week is a lot for me.0 -
What qualities should a good trainer posses? I.e any questions they should ask during the consultation, certifications, etc0
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soccerkon26 wrote: »What qualities should a good trainer posses? I.e any questions they should ask during the consultation, certifications, etc
Experience and certifications don't mean much. During the consult they should ask about your exercise and medical history, and your goals. I think it is also a good idea to do a movement assessment before getting into any training.
The evolution of a good personal trainer usually goes like this...
I know some stuff >>> I know everything >>> I know nothing
Find a trainer that "knows nothing." A good trainer is educated and confident, but isn't afraid to say, "I don't know."4 -
Giving this thread CPR to answer some more questions today...1
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soccerkon26 wrote: »What qualities should a good trainer posses? I.e any questions they should ask during the consultation, certifications, etc
[/quote]
Whether or not they've taken any AP courses is pretty huge. If not then I'd move on. Anyone can get a certificate to be a personal trainer. Heck, they have classes that can get you certified in a weekend. You want someone that is knowledgeable of how the body actually works first and foremost.
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Quiet day at the gym today, so I was wondering if anyone had a question they needed answered...0
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Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....0
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I have one that I'm hoping you can provide some insight to. I did Stronglifts last year and developed very painful tennis elbow which continued for a couple of months. I was working on trying to keep my wrists straight and aligned while holding the bar thinking this would help, but to no avail.
I would like to start this program again. Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening this time around?0 -
Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....
He hasn't replied yet, but since this came up....
When you're working with shoulder injuries it is imperative that you perform the full physical therapy course. Sometimes people start to feel better a few weeks in and stop going. DO NOT do this! Re-injury is common and certain movements are known to exacerbate these injuries.
Firstly, you don't say what is going on just that your rotator cuff is "irritated". I'm going to guess its: impingement, bursitis, unstable shoulder, or a minor labral tear.
When you meet your physical therapist they will give you multiple exercises to strengthen all of the small muscles in and around the rotator cuff. The movements will depend on your specific injury but from my experience it will usually be some variation of these:
The internal and external rotation was my first weeks homework with an empty waterbottle. Then we moved to a can of beans. then to weights, etc.
You'll want to follow the routine they give you along with your homework, stretching, and foam rolling instructions.
As far as working out in the gym, you shouldn't do anything during this time that can place excess tension on the rotator cuff (especially if you're not working with a personal trainer who can watch your form). This will include: Lateral Raises, Tricep push downs, chest flies, bench press, dips, overhead press and isolated shoulder work, as well as barbell squats depending on your current shoulder mobility. Again, your PT will let you know all of this stuff, so make sure to ask questions!
What to do moving forward? Go to your PT, get stronger, listen to your PT and avoid movements that may exacerbate the problem in the short term.
p.s. if you don't do all of your physical therapy and heed these warnings you might just have to wear one of these. It's not a cute look, trust me.
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Hi, why are group fitness classes geared for the most super fit people. Why do the less accomplished people have to modify? Why not make classes more middle of the pack and let the super fit make the modifications to increase difficulty? Every fitness class I've ever attended has been like this, except for Silver Fit which is too easy. I think this is why so many people refuse to go to classes! Just curious on an owners perspective.3
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rainbowbow wrote: »Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....
He hasn't replied yet, but since this came up....
When you're working with shoulder injuries it is imperative that you perform the full physical therapy course. Sometimes people start to feel better a few weeks in and stop going. DO NOT do this! Re-injury is common and certain movements are known to exacerbate these injuries.
Firstly, you don't say what is going on just that your rotator cuff is "irritated". I'm going to guess its: impingement, bursitis, unstable shoulder, or a minor labral tear.
When you meet your physical therapist they will give you multiple exercises to strengthen all of the small muscles in and around the rotator cuff. The movements will depend on your specific injury but from my experience it will usually be some variation of these:
The internal and external rotation was my first weeks homework with an empty waterbottle. Then we moved to a can of beans. then to weights, etc.
You'll want to follow the routine they give you along with your homework, stretching, and foam rolling instructions.
As far as working out in the gym, you shouldn't do anything during this time that can place excess tension on the rotator cuff (especially if you're not working with a personal trainer who can watch your form). This will include: Lateral Raises, Tricep push downs, chest flies, bench press, dips, overhead press and isolated shoulder work, as well as barbell squats depending on your current shoulder mobility. Again, your PT will let you know all of this stuff, so make sure to ask questions!
What to do moving forward? Go to your PT, get stronger, listen to your PT and avoid movements that may exacerbate the problem in the short term.
p.s. if you don't do all of your physical therapy and heed these warnings you might just have to wear one of these. It's not a cute look, trust me.
Thank you. Orthopedist said I don't have any tears in there. Just a lot of inflammation, hence the injection. I'm afraid the next time will be a tear if I'm not careful though, and I can't work if my arm is in a sling. They suggested I do 6 PT sessions so I'm all signed up. In the meantime I'm just stretching and keeping it mobile like they said. Not going near any weights! Was just thinking for the future so this doesn't happen again.... Thanks again.
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rainbowbow wrote: »Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....
He hasn't replied yet, but since this came up....
When you're working with shoulder injuries it is imperative that you perform the full physical therapy course. Sometimes people start to feel better a few weeks in and stop going. DO NOT do this! Re-injury is common and certain movements are known to exacerbate these injuries.
Firstly, you don't say what is going on just that your rotator cuff is "irritated". I'm going to guess its: impingement, bursitis, unstable shoulder, or a minor labral tear.
When you meet your physical therapist they will give you multiple exercises to strengthen all of the small muscles in and around the rotator cuff. The movements will depend on your specific injury but from my experience it will usually be some variation of these:
The internal and external rotation was my first weeks homework with an empty waterbottle. Then we moved to a can of beans. then to weights, etc.
You'll want to follow the routine they give you along with your homework, stretching, and foam rolling instructions.
As far as working out in the gym, you shouldn't do anything during this time that can place excess tension on the rotator cuff (especially if you're not working with a personal trainer who can watch your form). This will include: Lateral Raises, Tricep push downs, chest flies, bench press, dips, overhead press and isolated shoulder work, as well as barbell squats depending on your current shoulder mobility. Again, your PT will let you know all of this stuff, so make sure to ask questions!
What to do moving forward? Go to your PT, get stronger, listen to your PT and avoid movements that may exacerbate the problem in the short term.
p.s. if you don't do all of your physical therapy and heed these warnings you might just have to wear one of these. It's not a cute look, trust me.
Thank you. Orthopedist said I don't have any tears in there. Just a lot of inflammation, hence the injection. I'm afraid the next time will be a tear if I'm not careful though, and I can't work if my arm is in a sling. They suggested I do 6 PT sessions so I'm all signed up. In the meantime I'm just stretching and keeping it mobile like they said. Not going near any weights! Was just thinking for the future so this doesn't happen again.... Thanks again.
good!
I actually had impengement, then unstable shoulder, then eventually a tear which required this shoulder immobility sling. It's a special sling that doesn't allow any movement of the shoulder which must be worn day and night all the time for 2-3 months. It was hell.
But your physical therapist will show you exercises to strengthen everything and tell you what to avoid. In my opinion the best way to avoid re-injury is by staying active, keeping these muscles strong, and avoiding any improper movements.
Hope that helps and good luck to you!
p.s. i really hate the steroid shots. I got one and had immediate relief for de quervain's, however, it caused atrophy, loss of fat, and hypopigmentation in the localized area. It took over 4 years for my hands to look normal again. Highly recommend to avoid unless necessary. In the shoulder area i personally found voltaren and other topicals sufficient.1 -
I'm about 2 lbs away from goal weight. As I start to maintain my weight by how much should I increase calories? Also are there any adjustments I should think about making to my training. I currently work with a trainer two days a week, and we will be having this conversation soon, do a Pilates class once a week and cardio once a week, plus walking around five miles per day.0
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DreesPerformanceTraining wrote: »There's not much you can do to target your abs. Keep dropping the weight and things will tighten up.
Really? I could think of so so many exercises which target the abs...
You can do a bunch of ab exercises but you cannot spot reduce fat. You cannot just point to a part of your body you don't like and do exercises for only that muscle and lose fat there. As you loose body fat, you'll lose it all over your body.1 -
rainbowbow wrote: »Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....
He hasn't replied yet, but since this came up....
When you're working with shoulder injuries it is imperative that you perform the full physical therapy course. Sometimes people start to feel better a few weeks in and stop going. DO NOT do this! Re-injury is common and certain movements are known to exacerbate these injuries.
Firstly, you don't say what is going on just that your rotator cuff is "irritated". I'm going to guess its: impingement, bursitis, unstable shoulder, or a minor labral tear.
When you meet your physical therapist they will give you multiple exercises to strengthen all of the small muscles in and around the rotator cuff. The movements will depend on your specific injury but from my experience it will usually be some variation of these:
The internal and external rotation was my first weeks homework with an empty waterbottle. Then we moved to a can of beans. then to weights, etc.
You'll want to follow the routine they give you along with your homework, stretching, and foam rolling instructions.
As far as working out in the gym, you shouldn't do anything during this time that can place excess tension on the rotator cuff (especially if you're not working with a personal trainer who can watch your form). This will include: Lateral Raises, Tricep push downs, chest flies, bench press, dips, overhead press and isolated shoulder work, as well as barbell squats depending on your current shoulder mobility. Again, your PT will let you know all of this stuff, so make sure to ask questions!
What to do moving forward? Go to your PT, get stronger, listen to your PT and avoid movements that may exacerbate the problem in the short term.
p.s. if you don't do all of your physical therapy and heed these warnings you might just have to wear one of these. It's not a cute look, trust me.
Thank you. Orthopedist said I don't have any tears in there. Just a lot of inflammation, hence the injection. I'm afraid the next time will be a tear if I'm not careful though, and I can't work if my arm is in a sling. They suggested I do 6 PT sessions so I'm all signed up. In the meantime I'm just stretching and keeping it mobile like they said. Not going near any weights! Was just thinking for the future so this doesn't happen again.... Thanks again.
I've worn one of those things 6 times for shoulder operations. Agree, not fun. I would suggest taking a look at Eric Cresey's website:
http://ericcressey.com/
He's a long time trainer that has developed a specialization in shoulders. He has pro baseball clients with over $1B in contract money working with him, so pretty legit. Take a look at some of his free articles, pick some exercises you like and take the to your PT, asking how they would be in your specific situation.
Best of luck.1 -
I'm a mom ×3 with 3 c-section. My youngest is 6 and I thought over time my lower abdominal muscles would be fine. I was wrong. Every time I go to do sit ups it burns so much feels like I'm ripping those muscles back open. Any suggestions for easy repairing those muscle to get back in tighten those muscle.0
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Hi ☺,
I am very new to working out. I am pretty active as a single mom of two young boys. For the last month or so, I've been doing ab, leg, and butt workout videos that I found online as well as some salsa type dancing videos. I don't have access to a gym until I return to college in September. My school offers a gym membership and personal trainer included in tuition. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do over the next month to get in shape, lose weight and increase lean muscle mass?
Thank you!!0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »Ok. I've been lifting for a year now and recently managed to irritate my rotator cuff. I've had issues with it in the past (unrelated to weights) and this time earned myself a cortisone injection and a few rounds of physical therapy. I was planning to ask this when I start therapy next week, but since you're here...what do you think I should do moving forward as far as my weight training goes? Should I simply be doing some light exercises as a warm up before getting into my heavy upper body routine, or incorporating more specific accessory work to improve on this weak area? I hope that makes sense....
He hasn't replied yet, but since this came up....
When you're working with shoulder injuries it is imperative that you perform the full physical therapy course. Sometimes people start to feel better a few weeks in and stop going. DO NOT do this! Re-injury is common and certain movements are known to exacerbate these injuries.
Firstly, you don't say what is going on just that your rotator cuff is "irritated". I'm going to guess its: impingement, bursitis, unstable shoulder, or a minor labral tear.
When you meet your physical therapist they will give you multiple exercises to strengthen all of the small muscles in and around the rotator cuff. The movements will depend on your specific injury but from my experience it will usually be some variation of these:
The internal and external rotation was my first weeks homework with an empty waterbottle. Then we moved to a can of beans. then to weights, etc.
You'll want to follow the routine they give you along with your homework, stretching, and foam rolling instructions.
As far as working out in the gym, you shouldn't do anything during this time that can place excess tension on the rotator cuff (especially if you're not working with a personal trainer who can watch your form). This will include: Lateral Raises, Tricep push downs, chest flies, bench press, dips, overhead press and isolated shoulder work, as well as barbell squats depending on your current shoulder mobility. Again, your PT will let you know all of this stuff, so make sure to ask questions!
What to do moving forward? Go to your PT, get stronger, listen to your PT and avoid movements that may exacerbate the problem in the short term.
p.s. if you don't do all of your physical therapy and heed these warnings you might just have to wear one of these. It's not a cute look, trust me.
Thank you. Orthopedist said I don't have any tears in there. Just a lot of inflammation, hence the injection. I'm afraid the next time will be a tear if I'm not careful though, and I can't work if my arm is in a sling. They suggested I do 6 PT sessions so I'm all signed up. In the meantime I'm just stretching and keeping it mobile like they said. Not going near any weights! Was just thinking for the future so this doesn't happen again.... Thanks again.
good!
I actually had impengement, then unstable shoulder, then eventually a tear which required this shoulder immobility sling. It's a special sling that doesn't allow any movement of the shoulder which must be worn day and night all the time for 2-3 months. It was hell.
But your physical therapist will show you exercises to strengthen everything and tell you what to avoid. In my opinion the best way to avoid re-injury is by staying active, keeping these muscles strong, and avoiding any improper movements.
Hope that helps and good luck to you!
p.s. i really hate the steroid shots. I got one and had immediate relief for de quervain's, however, it caused atrophy, loss of fat, and hypopigmentation in the localized area. It took over 4 years for my hands to look normal again. Highly recommend to avoid unless necessary. In the shoulder area i personally found voltaren and other topicals sufficient.
My right shoulder is totally jacked up and I'm too young for a replacement. Lol. Love Voltaren.0
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