lifting suggestions/tips/help
gnalani
Posts: 126
Hi all,
In the last 3 months or so, I've had a personal trainer who has helped me tremendously with weight lifting. I am in love with lifting heavy but not so in love with the cost of hiring a trainer to help me. I used to do triathlons and learned a ton about endurance sports, and I know a decent amount about nutrition, but this is a whole new field for me.
Can anyone recommend a training plan or a book or something? Once my trainer is gone at the beginning of December, I'm on my own and need to figure out how I can keep improving. I did some google searching but its basically a long list of self-promoting companies all saying they have the "best plan"... so help would be much appreciated!
Also -- probably a really dumb question. But is it possible to keep moving forward without a partner? Someone to spot me? I can't get any of my friends really interested in this so I'm probably on my own.
In the last 3 months or so, I've had a personal trainer who has helped me tremendously with weight lifting. I am in love with lifting heavy but not so in love with the cost of hiring a trainer to help me. I used to do triathlons and learned a ton about endurance sports, and I know a decent amount about nutrition, but this is a whole new field for me.
Can anyone recommend a training plan or a book or something? Once my trainer is gone at the beginning of December, I'm on my own and need to figure out how I can keep improving. I did some google searching but its basically a long list of self-promoting companies all saying they have the "best plan"... so help would be much appreciated!
Also -- probably a really dumb question. But is it possible to keep moving forward without a partner? Someone to spot me? I can't get any of my friends really interested in this so I'm probably on my own.
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I lift without partner. Yesterday I was doing bench press at around 90% of my max, and I was using a squat cage to spot me. Just be reasonable.
You don't need a trainer, but you should have been learning from your trainer the whole time. There's no value to investing in one if you can't also learn the what and why something is being done.
Now, you have a couple options, based on a few things:
1. Ask your trainer to sit with you and build a program you can stick with until you can afford to, or choose to buy more time with the trainer.
2. If you are an intermediate lifter, find an intermediate program.
3. If you're still a noob at lifting after time with a trainer, and haven't learned programming from time you've spent with them... then start with something like starting strength, or stronglifts.
That's really the long and short of it. A few people will advise other programs, but essentially, if you are a trained newbie, get a newbie program and run it consistently. Better choice is to use an intermediate program paired with what you may or may not remember from your workouts. Potentially though, a tailored plan based on your specific goals might be the thing, if your trainer is quality.0 -
Starting strength is a decent book. Personally I would use bodybuilding.com and try one of their programs. The Jamie Eason live fit trainer is good... And it gives you a calendar to follow along with and its 90 days I believe.
Hope that helps!0 -
Sronglifts 5x5 (google it, and it's free). I was exactly you - hired a trainer to help me learn what to do, then when it was up I started doing it alone.
Ask your trainer to help you learn the basic stronglifts exercises - squat, deadlift (not romanian), barbel rows, overhead press, and bench press - so you are ready when the time comes.0 -
Thank you for the tips everyone!! I have a great trainer who has been writing down all our workouts. I'll look into the program's you guys recommended. I love learning and studying so I appreciate the advice on where to go for solid instruction!!0
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I use Stronglifts 5x5 as well. I usually lift alone, (in a cage, free weights only), although if my husband is home he and I sometimes lift together. If I have questions about form, I watch youtube videos and also ask my husband to watch me and critique what I am doing.0
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Like others have said, I recommend starting with SL5x5. It is a great program to get you started into heavy lifting and easy to follow. I lift alone, you just have to be mindful. There are a few times I have sacrificed a few reps because I didn't have a spotter but I am not going to stress about it.0
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SL is great program for beginners, however the lifts themselves can be somewhat technical.
My advice is to seek out what the proper form is (the SL website is very poor in that regard IMO) and you may not yet be able to do them and you may have to work your way into them, especially if you have been sedentary for a long time and have limited range of motion and flexibility, much less strength. You've been working out with a trainer - so that may not be an issue.
Yes, you can easily move forward without a trainer. Also, you may want to check out bodybuilding.com and download their Bodyspace app. They have a number of training programs (including the SL) if the SL you are not inclined to do.0 -
Why would you assume the trainer hasn't trained these forms?0
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@ OP: Do you know what certification(s)) your trainer has? That could make a big difference. If he has the NSCA CSCS or NASM PES or even CES then he probably has a decent knowledge-base and can help you with something. But let's assume he's not and a total douche'...
Suggested reading in no particular order...
- New Rules of Lifting
- Beyond 5/3/1
- Starting Strength
- StrongLifts 5x50 -
civilizedworm wrote: »
That's a great approach to life. Stick with that.0 -
civilizedworm wrote: »
That's a great approach to life. Stick with that.
No I am serious. Perhaps the OP can address this directly, but when I read "this is a whole new field for me" and when you even state "If you're still a noob at lifting after time with a trainer, and haven't learned programming from time you've spent with them... then start with something like starting strength, or stronglifts" I ask myself why should I assume that the trainer has instructed the OP on the forms required for each of the SL exercise without injury.
However, if my question to you offends you - perhaps it is you that doesn't have such a great approach to life. So stick with that if that is indeed the case.0 -
You may have a point, and I may be giving too much benefit of the doubt to the paid professional contractor the OP has hired. However, my position was more along the lines of... "Really, you've been with a trainer for how many months, and you're just now deciding to go to the gym, and enterting a whole new field." I figured it was just another lazy customer that couldn't be bugged to learn their programming, the approach, and then use that on their own time in the gym.
I would assume that the fault is with the customer before the service provider in this case.
Additionally, I'll stick with my approach to life. I've entertained 65 million people over the last 4 years, I make good money, and I'm doing well in the gym. Obviously, I'm doing it right.
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civilizedworm wrote: »civilizedworm wrote: »
That's a great approach to life. Stick with that.
No I am serious. Perhaps the OP can address this directly, but when I read "this is a whole new field for me" and when you even state "If you're still a noob at lifting after time with a trainer, and haven't learned programming from time you've spent with them... then start with something like starting strength, or stronglifts" I ask myself why should I assume that the trainer has instructed the OP on the forms.
But, if my question to you offends you, perhaps it is you that doesn't have such a great approach to life.
He's (civilized) really not incorrect. For arguements sake, let's assume that this PT has a NASM PES certification, so he's fairly intelligent at least. Now the first step in the NASM Opt model, assuming the client is healthy and doesn't need corrective work, would be to do an assessment on their basic movement function. The OP sounds like she is previously un-trained so this trainer would likely start her with something like stability-endurance training. During this phase of training, there is no barbell squatting or barbell bench pressing and surely no deadlifting. The next phase might include some compound lifts depending on how the client is progressing. So in this scenario even though this trainer knows what they're doing, they have had no reason to teach those lifts because they're not applicable at that time. Of course I am assuming that the PT knows what they're doing. The other possibility is that he's a dumb-*kitten* and couldn't train a 4-year old to ride a bike.
In either case, the OP will likely need to teach herself the basic compound movements presented in the other programs mentioned above. There is more than enough information available on the web and S&C's like Mark Rippletoe are fine instructors for such exercises. If the OP is unable to receive any further support from her trainer then she will need help to learn basic programming or acute variable management and many of the programs mentioned in this thread (SL5x5, SS, etc) will take care of that for her.0 -
Okay, I understand your position now. I didn't read it that way initially. Without really more information, I wouldn't assume either way - the dynamics of a client and professional relationship widely vary and someone who has "entertained 65 million people" would know this too well. I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.You may have a point, and I may be giving too much benefit of the doubt to the paid professional contractor the OP has hired. However, my position was more along the lines of... "Really, you've been with a trainer for how many months, and you're just now deciding to go to the gym, and enterting a whole new field." I figured it was just another lazy customer that couldn't be bugged to learn their programming, the approach, and then use that on their own time in the gym.
I would assume that the fault is with the customer before the service provider in this case.
Additionally, I'll stick with my approach to life. I've entertained 65 million people over the last 4 years, I make good money, and I'm doing well in the gym. Obviously, I'm doing it right.0 -
civilizedworm wrote: »I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
What do you do? I'm just curious, not lookin' to start any crap.
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My professional practice is art director/designer. I have a roster of clients spanning 20 years, almost as long as the time I've spent in the gym.Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »civilizedworm wrote: »I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
What do you do? I'm just curious, not lookin' to start any crap.0 -
civilizedworm wrote: »...and someone who has "entertained 65 million people" would know this too well. I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
I am a game developer. Basic rule in game development:
Customer complaints are generally wrong, and customers may think they know what they want, but they need to be educated on what is better.
It's not like other fields. It does color how I view other fields though. 0 -
civilizedworm wrote: »
My professional practice is art director/designer. I have a roster of clients spanning 20 years, almost as long as the time I've spent in the gym.Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »civilizedworm wrote: »I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
What do you do? I'm just curious, not lookin' to start any crap.
Wow, that's a cool profession.I am a game developer.
I'm jealous, that's so cool.0 -
Cool field to be in! I hated doing animation and got out of Flash development pretty quick in the 90s. (But I can still code ActionScript if need be.) You are no doubt doing much cooler/technical stuff.civilizedworm wrote: »...and someone who has "entertained 65 million people" would know this too well. I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
I am a game developer. Basic rule in game development:
Customer complaints are generally wrong, and customers may think they know what they want, but they need to be educated on what is better.
It's not like other fields. It does color how I view other fields though.
I am a little less quicker to dismiss the observations or complaints of my clients, but I work a little more directly with those that sign my checks and bring me new business.0 -
It's fun until you realize that you'll never play a video game for enjoyment again... lol!Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »civilizedworm wrote: »
My professional practice is art director/designer. I have a roster of clients spanning 20 years, almost as long as the time I've spent in the gym.Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »civilizedworm wrote: »I know this from my professional practice inside and outside of the gym.
What do you do? I'm just curious, not lookin' to start any crap.
Wow, that's a cool profession.I am a game developer.
I'm jealous, that's so cool.
Art Direction/Design has a lot of similar challenges when dealing with clients. Every client has a cousin's brother's roommates pet hen that once saw a design book, so now they are naturally an expert.
Gamers are like that too. They played Halo once, so now they know everything about everything.
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Heh, one of the guys from the team who made Doom still owes me an unpaid invoice from an MMO project he failed on back in 08. lol.0
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civilizedworm wrote: »
I was always partial to Duke Nukem. LOL! The Duke Nukem White House add-on was awesome.0 -
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Yeah that's basically what it was. You fought the pigs in the White House and other spots in DC, it was a lot of fun. 0
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I always laughed about the character design of the police in that game.0
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We've hijacked the thread. Sorry.0
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Hi, I am a bigggg fan of strenght training and lifting heavy and you don't need a trainer to help you lift, all you have to do is continue to due your rountine the way your doing them now make sure your doing all your sets always mix up your rountine daily ,if you do the same thing the same way eacg day your body will get used to it and you won't gain muscle or loose weight it's always good to mix thinge up to confuse the muscles in your body one day do bench press then move to curls the next day do curls first then bench press then do shoulder first bench press and curls ect... you catch my drift it works and its effective... Let me know how things work out,0
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