personal trainer?

anhancock10 · November 2011

Hi. I just started working out with a personal trainer after working out for about 3 months on my own. He wants me to work out for 6 hrs a week cardio then do 20 mins of strength training after each workout every other day. Does this sound like to much to start out with? should i split it up or do the whole hour? P.S. i worked out with him for the first time on tue and my legs & stomach are killing me! Everything feels bruised, should i do a day of rest? Im so confused! Help please & thank you:)

jfloyd7 · November 2011

I've always heard and read that you should always do strength training before cardio ... But, I'm a carpenter, not a trainer, so what do I know?

LorinaLynn · November 2011

I'm no expert, but I think almost an hour and a half a day, six days a week is more than the average person needs. If you're an athlete in training, that's another story, but just for optimal health and/or weight loss, it seems excessive.

jakejacobsen · November 2011

Go for it push your self

kalexander2005 · November 2011

It sounds about right by what I've been reading on bodybuilding.com. A day of rest in between strength training sounds good. And, the guy at my supplement store (has lost over 200 pounds himself) recommended I do cardio after strength, but I do it the opposite just to warm up first. I guess if the trainer is fit and get results with other clients, I would take his advice.

Kyliechristie · November 2011

I think it depends on what you told your trainer your goals are?

dia705 · November 2011

It does vary with your goal. My trainer had me doing 10 minute warm up on the treadmill and then off to a full workout (hour) of strength training. Cardio when you start out burns up all the extra energy and leaves when you hit cardio to burn up all the fat. I was about 140 pounds larger than I am now... I was told cardio 30 min 6 days a week to START and by the time we were a few months in I was up to 1.5 hours of cardio 6 days a week and strength training 4 days a week(one on one off). I was in the best shape of my life and dropped 140 pounds in a little over 7 months. Depends on your level of expertise, weight, and how long you've been training. Are you training for a race, just to be healthy, some competition?

I'd say go for it, if you feel you can. Kick it back a little if you are over training but talk with your trainer as you go if you feel you are not getting what you want out of it. You always have to kick it up a notch every now and again to a. Not get bored and B. keep up the weight loss/tone.

Good luck!

Cathleenr · November 2011

well, is he going to HELP you or just toss out that reccommendation and leave you to figure it out? i hope you didn't pay him for that advice

and did he give you specific strength exercises on the days he wants you to do them?

if you are just starting out, i'd reccommend getting the New Rules of Lifting for Women and follow that strength program for the 20 or so weeks it takes to move through the stages. Keep a log, so you know what you did when, how much you lifted and track your progress. there is excellent nutritional information in the book, too.
if he is going to be there at your strength sessions, ask him why he is having you do what you do...not to challenge him, but so you understand what is going on with your body.

maura5880 · November 2011

That's almost exactly what I do in terms of training. However, if you're sore by all means take a day off. You definitely don't want to have an injury that forces you to take a lot of time off!

anhancock10 · November 2011

my only goal was to lose weight & tone up. I am not training for anything nor do i want the "bodybuilder" look, i figured i would ask because i thought it was a bit excessive not to mention my legs and stomach feel like i was thrown out of a building they hurt so bad

But i guess thats good right ha!

Sidesteal · November 2011

I don't like his advice, but if you manage to do what he is asking and keep a diet thats at least in the ballpark of reasonable, you'll make decent progress.

Cathleenr · November 2011

by the "bodybuilder" look, so you mean this:

or this:

steroid use makes the difference.
and hurting muscles isn't necessarily a good thing. you don't have to hurt when you build.

kayleeblue · November 2011

AZackery · November 2011

Hi Anhancock10. does your trainer wants you to do this in addition to working out with him or is this the program he written up for you to do with him a week?

I'll wait for your answer, before I suggest something.

dreambodin2011 · November 2011

gosh I hate those fake boobs/melons/basketballs. How ridiculous.

sorry if i offend anyone. But that just looks 'wrong'!

and that first pic is wrong also. wouldn't be surprised if it was photoshopped. i don't understand any woman wanting to look like that.

different strokes fokes....!

Good luck with your trainer - it will hurt in the beginning but I agree that if it continues to hurt you should take a rest. Recovery is important.

anhancock10 · November 2011

He want me to do this during the week by myself and then meet with him once a week to work out with him.

TavistockToad · November 2011

Given that you are paying this man, i would ask him all the questions not us!

dad106 · November 2011

Uh, personal trainers don't know everything one.. and two there are different degrees of personal trainers.. some are awesome, and some suck! So she's smart to ask for other opinions.

Personally OP, I'd ditch this trainer and see if you can find someone else. Unless you have a lot of weight to lose.. that sounds quite excessive... You also should not be so sore that you feel bruised. Believe me, I went through the exact same feeling of pain with my first trainer and now he's fired from the gym.

My personal trainer that I have now , gave me 3 cardio programs to do.. one is 56 minutes, one is 35 and one is 29 minutes.. all accomplish different things. He also wants me to lift on my own using compound movements instead of isolated ones.. and I try to lift for at least a half an hour twice, before I see him at my usual slot on thursdays.

Did he tell you what kind of exercises to do for weight lifting? If he didn't and you've never done it before, I'd ask him to suggest some routines so that you have a set idea of what to focus on.

Azdak · November 2011

That, and two buckets full of silicone.

Tujitsu56 · November 2011

I think it's a bit much for a beginner. If you cannot handle it, let him know and take it down a little. He should be tailoring the workout to your needs. Some trainer have been said to overwork a client. Maybe after assessing what you can do, he felt like you can handle it. Not sure. You need to also determine your level of soreness; is it muscle soreness or joing soreness.

The workout he has you on sounds like INSANITY haha... Thats an extreme home workout offered by beachbody.

Azdak · November 2011

The total time is not excessive, but it's also not necessary. It seems unbalanced with too much cardio and too little strength.

The other thing is that you don't have to full tilt from day 1. This is another frequent mistake that trainers make. If you are starting a program or a new routine, it is not necessary to work yourself to the level of soreness you are describing. The body needs time to adapt to the new movements. You don't get into shape any faster by beating yourself up like that--it just hurts more (unnecessarily). If a program like you are describing represents a drastic change from what you were doing, then you should take anywhere from 4-10 sessions --whatever it takes--to ramp up to the full routine. But a lot of trainers are either too self-absorbed or too insecure to work you in gradually. They think they have to "prove themselves" by working you as hard as possible from day 1.

UponThisRock · November 2011

sounds like a program that will run you into the ground

Tujitsu56 · November 2011

I like this advice

bry_all01 · November 2011

Days of rest are just as important as days of working out. You need at least one day a week off completely. Best advice I was EVER given during training.

Dauntlessness · November 2011

It depends on how hard you want to work honestly. I just started using a trainer too and I have lost 2.6 pounds this week after being on a plateau for a long time.
I have been sore the whole time...but the results are worth it!

I work out 6 days a week, strength train alternating muscle groups, then do around 60 minutes of cardio a little less or more. I used to be in the gym 3 hours a day but he told me no more then 2.
It doesn't sound unreasonable to me, but its what you are comfortable with.

Here is what he has me doing :
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lect

Good luck!

AZackery · November 2011

I'm not telling you what to do, but I wouldn't waste my money on a one day training session with a trainer.

An hour isn't long. Well, it goes by fast, when you are doing an exciting fast hour workout. I workout an hour or maybe a little longer, it depends on the workout that I'm doing. Some of my workouts runs from 65 minutes to 80 minutes.

Strength training is good, but I'm not a big fan of solo strength training. I do them, but I prefer cardio and cardio/strength.

I can't tell you what to do, but I wouldn't workout 6 days in a row. I would give my body 2 rest days. I would workout 5 days a week with every day being a cardio day and 2 days being cardio/strength days. If you want to work out 6 days a week, make every day a cardio day and 3 days cardio/strength.

In my opinion, cardio/strength workouts will get you tone. I know it tones my body. Cardio/Strength workouts can be up to an hour long. I would do my workouts at one time and not break them up.

firedragon064 · November 2011

Just do it!
Try it for 2 weeks to see if you get any result.
If you have doubt or any questions , you should get him to explain it to you.

anhancock10 · November 2011

thank you everyone for the advice! you guys are awesome:)

personal trainer?

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