There actually is a no-effort fitness trick

_Pseudonymous_

RASPBERRY KETONES!!

Or you could go old school and try coffee enemas? Or even the poptart cleanse?

Hadabetter

I know this is going to come as a big surprise, but recent studies have revealed that people are different.

Some people are naturally, genetically strong and some aren't. But to get to your point, some people are genetically blessed with the ability to respond to training, and some aren't. Some people can do a lot of strength training and just never get much stronger or bigger. Some people get huge!

Some people can do a lot of endurance training and just never develop much more capacity for endurance activities. Some people can start a track season out of shape and be in top form in a matter of a few weeks.

But all the studies seem to indicate that even the "non-responders" improve their health in some way as a result of exercise.

SGM_Adonis

RASPBERRY KETONES!!

Or you could go old school and try coffee enemas? Or even the poptart cleanse?

Mmmm Pop-Tarts. Would I have to eat them ever 2 hours?

TX_Thundercat

It's gotta be the *kitten*.

I must be doing it wrong.

_Pseudonymous_

RASPBERRY KETONES!!

Or you could go old school and try coffee enemas? Or even the poptart cleanse?

Mmmm Pop-Tarts. Would I have to eat them ever 2 hours?

Yes. I get the best results from cherry or dark chocolate, because of the antioxidents.

llaurenmarie

The "oh, please look at me!" girls at my gym like to lay on the mats and text a *kitten*-ton. I soooo need to get one of those magic fat burning mats.

I'm actually surprised there are very few girls at my gym. Well I also go at a very strange time.. 12a-2:30am
Maybe I'm lucky to miss out on those.

PikaKnight

whoa... 2.5 hours???????? Every Day??????????? Say it ain't so..................

ain't nobody got time fo dat! An hour tops, 3-5 days a week.

I have a feeling my gym time is going to stir some people who blow this out of proportion -____-

Work smarter, not harder.

^Exactly this. Exactly.

OverDoIt

2.5 hours is very high volume. It may not be suited for you. I used to be a very high volume guy, and my joints decided otherwise. I did legs today with my trainer and could only handle 20 mins. I wanted to vomit. Everyone I know who trians for long peroids of time eventually burnout at some point either mentally or physically.

lexcoulstring

It's gotta be the *kitten*.

I'm doing it wrong

AlwaysInMotion

The "oh, please look at me!" girls at my gym like to lay on the mats and text a *kitten*-ton. I soooo need to get one of those magic fat burning mats.

I'm actually surprised there are very few girls at my gym. Well I also go at a very strange time.. 12a-2:30am
Maybe I'm lucky to miss out on those.

Well, I work out at a field house on a military base. I'm guessing these young little things are airmen's GFs. (If these ladies were "airmen" themselves, they'd likely be working out, too.) Their guys live in the weights area, hence they lounge around. If you guys think you have it bad, imagine trying to work out whilst being completely surrounded by young, fit enlisted guys all with <10% BF doing "neverending" chin-ups with 45lb plates dangling from their belts or benching the gross weight equivalent of a Prius.

PatheticNoetic

The "oh, please look at me!" girls at my gym like to lay on the mats and text a *kitten*-ton. I soooo need to get one of those magic fat burning mats.

I'm actually surprised there are very few girls at my gym. Well I also go at a very strange time.. 12a-2:30am
Maybe I'm lucky to miss out on those.

Well, I work out at a field house on a military base. I'm guessing these young little things are airmen's GFs. (If these ladies were "airmen" themselves, they'd likely be working out, too.) Their guys live in the weights area, hence they lounge around. If you guys think you have it bad, imagine trying to work out whilst being completely surrounded by young, fit enlisted guys all with <10% BF doing "neverending" chin-ups with 45lb plates dangling from their belts or benching the gross weight equivalent of a Prius.

I know what you mean.

Holly_Roman_Empire

The "oh, please look at me!" girls at my gym like to lay on the mats and text a *kitten*-ton. I soooo need to get one of those magic fat burning mats.

I'm actually surprised there are very few girls at my gym. Well I also go at a very strange time.. 12a-2:30am
Maybe I'm lucky to miss out on those.

Well, I work out at a field house on a military base. I'm guessing these young little things are airmen's GFs. (If these ladies were "airmen" themselves, they'd likely be working out, too.) Their guys live in the weights area, hence they lounge around. If you guys think you have it bad, imagine trying to work out whilst being completely surrounded by young, fit enlisted guys all with <10% BF doing "neverending" chin-ups with 45lb plates dangling from their belts or benching the gross weight equivalent of a Prius.

Wow, what branch is that? I know there were very few guys like that when I was in the Air Force going to the gym!

AlwaysInMotion

Well, I work out at a field house on a military base. I'm guessing these young little things are airmen's GFs. (If these ladies were "airmen" themselves, they'd likely be working out, too.) Their guys live in the weights area, hence they lounge around. If you guys think you have it bad, imagine trying to work out whilst being completely surrounded by young, fit enlisted guys all with <10% BF doing "neverending" chin-ups with 45lb plates dangling from their belts or benching the gross weight equivalent of a Prius.

Wow, what branch is that? I know there were very few guys like that when I was in the Air Force going to the gym!

Believe it or not, Air Force. There are those airmen that "live" at the Field House, and then there are those that, ah well, don't. (Granted, it's Bellevue, NE, in the dead of winter - what else would young, single, poor airmen be doing? Uh, don't answer that.) IMO, we have the most insane Field House in the force.

jonnythan

I've never spent 2 hours in a gym, ever.

I'm not sure if OP realizes this, but hours and cardio doesn't do much for your body composition. Lifting weights maintains muscle and calorie deficit cuts away the fat. That's what "in the kitchen" means, btw. Not that what you eat affects how you feel (it does) but it's limiting calorie intake that makes you lose fat, not dramatically increasing calorie burn.

Orion782

Well, I work out at a field house on a military base. I'm guessing these young little things are airmen's GFs. (If these ladies were "airmen" themselves, they'd likely be working out, too.) Their guys live in the weights area, hence they lounge around. If you guys think you have it bad, imagine trying to work out whilst being completely surrounded by young, fit enlisted guys all with <10% BF doing "neverending" chin-ups with 45lb plates dangling from their belts or benching the gross weight equivalent of a Prius.

Dang. I don't know what military base you are at, but in my 14 years in the military I never once stepped into a gym with a bunch of those dudes around. I'm no fitness model, but I was/am in better shape than 90% of the "gym rats", easy. Most enlisted guys I saw were well above 18%-20% body fat, and probably half of them struggled with their PFT. Dudes be crushing some elliptical action, though. :laugh:

Anyways, back to the OP. Your trainer needs to feel useful, therefore they keep you around doing useless exercises and correcting things that may or may not need corrected. Learn basic form, then drop your trainer. Lift heavy (YES, EVEN WOMEN!) and focus on squats, deadlifts, bench. Keep cardio to a minimum. You may think I'm crazy, but I guarantee you the guys at the gym you speak of are lifting heavy, probably doing 45 min - 1 hr of actual work, and using the rest of the time to socialize. Truth.

llaurenmarie

I've never spent 2 hours in a gym, ever.

I'm not sure if OP realizes this, but hours and cardio doesn't do much for your body composition. Lifting weights maintains muscle and calorie deficit cuts away the fat. That's what "in the kitchen" means, btw. Not that what you eat affects how you feel (it does) but it's limiting calorie intake that makes you lose fat, not dramatically increasing calorie burn.

So I said I was at the gym doing all cardio..? These first couple weeks he's been showing me all the weight machines, the free weights, having me do a half hour of cardio. Then we end off in one of the classrooms for step exercises/kettlebells/boxing whatever we do.
However yes, I'm learning my way around the gym since I'd never done anything BUT cardio before. And then will learn my own routine without him.

jonnythan

I've never spent 2 hours in a gym, ever.

I'm not sure if OP realizes this, but hours and cardio doesn't do much for your body composition. Lifting weights maintains muscle and calorie deficit cuts away the fat. That's what "in the kitchen" means, btw. Not that what you eat affects how you feel (it does) but it's limiting calorie intake that makes you lose fat, not dramatically increasing calorie burn.

So I said I was at the gym doing all cardio..? These first couple weeks he's been showing me all the weight machines, the free weights, having me do a half hour of cardio. Then we end off in one of the classrooms for step exercises/kettlebells/boxing whatever we do.
However yes, I'm learning my way around the gym since I'd never done anything BUT cardio before. And then will learn my own routine without him.

Well if you're in the 2.5 hours sweating your butt off the whole time, you're not IMO doing anything that can be very good for body composition. You're talking about buff guys at the gym and their "trick" so I assume that's what you're going for too.

Combining cardio and strength on the same day, and especially the same time, is not a good idea IMO. Weight machines aren't the best idea either but I understand why you want to use them.

The "trick" those buff guys use is simple: a heavy freeweight routine (with some occasional machine work to target certain muscles for growth) and good eating habits (lots of protein, control calorie intake). That's all there is to it.

My routine consists of maybe an hour in the gym three times a week - and all of my gym time is spent with a barbell or pullup bar. I do maybe 4 exercises per session, no more. Last night was squat, overhead press, pullup, and curl. Tomorrow night will be deadlift, bench press, lat pushdown, and weighted crunch. That's it. The only cardio I get is racquet or tennis 1-2 times a week during the winter, and tennis a bit more often during the summer.

AlwaysInMotion

Dang. I don't know what military base you are at, but in my 14 years in the military I never once stepped into a gym with a bunch of those dudes around. I'm no fitness model, but I was/am in better shape than 90% of the "gym rats", easy. Most enlisted guys I saw were well above 18%-20% body fat, and probably half of them struggled with their PFT. Dudes be crushing some elliptical action, though. :laugh:

I'm at Offutt AFB. There are plenty of "fearing-the-PFT" folks on the cardio equipment & track, but we also have an insano CrossFit team, some terrifying looking dudes in the combatives area (mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, etc.), and a busy weights & heavy weights area. The gym goers who "reside" in these areas seem to be mighty serious indeed.