Caveat: This is a rant about personal training services/gyms

tiajuana1

When i wanted to make a change, i took massive action and one was to commit to a personal trainer 3 x a week. I don't have heaps of extra cash either but here's how I looked at it: I was investing in my future (instead of spending it on ......what......food......stuff that doesn't bring a return). She has been absolutely wonderful. She's challenging, supportive, and most of all, she makes it fun! I've gotten the best results in a relatively short amount of time. I signed up for another 25 sessions. I am determined to keep investing in myself until I reach my goal. Unfortunately,either you're going to the wrong gym or you got the worst of the bunch. Don't give up on it. I promise you, most of the trainers that I've seen at my gym are enthusiastic, supportive and they get tremendous amount of respect from everyone there. Good luck and don't let them affect you achieving your goals!

cbear017

Thanks for all of your kind words! Normally stuff like this doesn't bother me much as I know the routine, but I was already feeling intimidated starting out in the free weight section of the gym again with the big boys and thought I was doing well, then this happened and my confidence plummeted.

Not to worry though, I'm not going to let this affect me. I will march on over to the customer service desk and report them. It's something I'd never normally do but I'd hate to think someone in a more fragile state than me might be turned off of gyms or working out in general

Fit_Britt

A healthy body fat percentage for women is about 20-30% (24 and below is fit range). Some sources consider 33% healthy as well. 19% is usually considered too low. What method did they use to measure? I have a scale that claims to measure body fat, but it is not very reliable (gives me different readings back to back). It will give me anywhere from 30-35%!

So, I did some research and found that the Omron hand held body fat monitor is recommended by consumer reports, and they say those scale monitors are completely inaccurate! The omron gives me much more reliable readings and I see my body fat dropping as I work out. I have watched my body fat drop from 28-24% over the past few weeks. Much better than the sporadic scale!

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306C-Loss-Monitor-Black/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1319202012&sr=8-3

And what gym are you using?!?! I have been a member of 7 different gyms in the past 5 years, and I have never heard anything like this! Right now, I go to the YMCA and its great!

Fit_Britt

Another thing to think about it group exercise classes. I personally do body pump and CX worx. These are great classes taught by certified instructors, and I have seen significant results with them. They keep you motivated and give you a push- you're not going to walk out in the middle of a class!

cbear017

A healthy body fat percentage for women is about 20-30% (24 and below is fit range). Some sources consider 33% healthy as well. 19% is usually considered too low. What method did they use to measure? I have a scale that claims to measure body fat, but it is not very reliable (gives me different readings back to back). It will give me anywhere from 30-35%!

So, I did some research and found that the Omron hand held body fat monitor is recommended by consumer reports, and they say those scale monitors are completely inaccurate! The omron gives me much more reliable readings and I see my body fat dropping as I work out. I have watched my body fat drop from 28-24% over the past few weeks. Much better than the sporadic scale!

http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HBF-306C-Loss-Monitor-Black/dp/B000FYZMYK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1319202012&sr=8-3

And what gym are you using?!?! I have been a member of 7 different gyms in the past 5 years, and I have never heard anything like this! Right now, I go to the YMCA and its great!

Thanks! I'll check that out. They used a body fat composition scale similar to the one I have at home. I don't doubt that it's off by a few % but I'm not too worried about it. I was really concerned by their mutual lack of understanding about the impossibility of losing that much fat and building that much muscle in such a short period of time on a calorie deficit. Clearly nutrition and body composition aren't their strong points...lol.

19% is a desirable range for me (in the distant future) because I am a former athlete. I'm trying to be realistic about the time it'll take me to get there and if I discover in getting into the low 20's that I'm happy there that's where I'll stay. Anything below 25% has got to look pretty good, right?

As much as I like Body Pump (I've been a member of Good Life for years) and I did it regularly for years, it wasn't intended to build any significant amount of muscle, just endurance. I wasn't making any significant gains in my classes and all I had to do was take a look around the room at the people I'd seen for years to know that most of them weren't much better off for it either. I did like it though but I want to lift heavier now and get myself in great shape by completely changing my shape I do still do it from time to time because like you said, it's fun and they give you a push.

I think what really irked me about the whole experience is that I used to be in great shape and I've always taken care to keep my form and technique in check. I've been fortunate enough to have worked out with some pretty awesome, dedicated, knowledgeable people, so to say I know nothing or that I pose a safety risk to myself in the gym was a bit demoralizing.

Fit_Britt

Yeah, body pump is meant for toning which is good since I really don't want to bulk up. But, you do gain muscle, especially if you eat right (no supplements, high protein whole foods). I make sure to eat at least 4 oz of chicken breast within an hour after my workout. My shoulders are very defined and my thighs are definitely more solid. In the past 6-8 weeks I have lost about 1lb but dropped 4% body fat.

I don't do any other weight training. Only elliptical and CX Worx (a new core class by les mills - works the booty and abs pretty hard!)

I notice a lot of people in body pump go often but don't look that great. My guess is that it is due to a poor diet or overdoing their work out (muscles grow/ rebuild during the rest periods!).