Personal Fitness Trainer - Routine Suggestions

What do I think? He's only interested in your money.

You do not need to vary your routine - not in the way he's suggesting. Also, you're not doing SL - I wouldn't even call that a modified version. It's truly something much different.

His strength routine seems to suck. Only one day for each body part? That's a recipe for going nowhere.

He's still in "fat burning zone" think. Yeah, um, no. That's largely inconsequential.

Also, if he thinks you're doing too much flat bench (you're doing it twice a week), he's a moron.

I have a simple recommendation, but first I feel I need to ask - where did you get that routine, and why are you doing it? Or, more specifically, why are you doing what you consider a "modified SL5x5," instead of SL as it's laid out?

Try adding barbell hip thrusts with main lifts at the weight of your row (lighter) or deadlift (heavier). Bent over rows and deadlifts are not in your plan because of back issues? Can you go lighter without issue? You may want to add variations of planks and rotations (focused stabilizing) for your core too. Have you considered various (frontal, reverse, static...) step-ups or lunges as well as lighter band/cable circuits in another block for mobility?

I briefly read over what he suggested.... i don't really disagree with anything he said and if you think you need a trainer to help you get to your goals i think you should do it.

My only real advice here is to not sign up for a LONGTERM contract if it was with a corporate gym.

It sounds like he thinks you have upper cross syndrome which is a postural distortion pattern. Working with someone to correct this imbalance may be highly beneficial not only for your training, hypertrophy, and physique in general but also in preventing an injury. It's characterized by having tight and overactive pectorals/upper traps and weak/lengthened middle and lower traps/scalenes. I shouldn't have to mention that when you have a postural disorder you are moving in altered movement patterns, which, overtime cause muscular imbalance, poor neuromuscular efficiency, altered reciprocal inhibition, etc.




If you have been performing the same maximal strength routine for an extended period of time it may very well be beneficial to switch things up and work your way back up again.

As far as his recommendation for cardio, it's actually the national recommendation for cardiorespiratory exercise. Either 30 minutes 5 x a week of low/moderate intensity exercise OR 3 times a week 25 minute high intensity exercise. If you're someone who just wants general cardiovascular health and you don't have any specific cardio goals (such as running a race or something) then i think the recommendation is spot on.

YES, you technically burn more fat at long periods of low intensity exercise. But ultimately it comes down to your overall calorie deficit. So, if you were to run at high intensity you would burn more calories (and ultimately burning more fat) in a short period of time; even though you were using mostly gylcogen stores to fuel the run at that time.

Did you tell him you want to only train twice a week or something? Or could you only train with HIM twice a week?It's just a split routine, but generally i recommend 3-4 days at least, but it can work depending on your schedule.

As far as training abs go, you can train them whenever (although training them isolated at the end of a workout will allow you to not fatigue them before heavy lifts where you NEED them for bracing).


All in all, the information that he recommended follows the guidelines of the accrediting certifications in the fitness industry. He did not recommend anything that does not have scientific backing. So it really comes down to whether or not you want to work with him and think it will be beneficial.

P.S. I am a NASM certified personal trainer and judging by his postural comments (i'm assuming he had you do a squat with your arms overhead? or a pushing/pulling assessment?) he probably is too if i had to guess. Especially when you said he focused on balance, because the very first phase of the Optimum Performance Training module works specifically on raising muscular endurance, stability work, and fixing postural problems so that when you progress to strength you get the most benefit and the least liklihood of injury.

Seated cable rows modified a bit will help.

when u start the movement, focus on pulling the shoulders back by contracting your rear delts and upper back (pull your shoulder blades together). Do this and hold for a slight second before the completing the pull portion of the movement that forces you to bend at the elbows. This should help you get used to pulling the shoulders back.

The main thing is to work on your posture and strengthen those upper back muscles and rear delts.

Try:
Bent over rear delt fly's
Med ball rear delt fly's with dumbells
Several different rowing movements - bent over, verticle, and horizontal.
Face pulls

There are good trainers and bad. Ask to speak to some his other clients. If not, he has something to hide. I don't totally disagree with what he said. You can just do flat bench press, and expect to have an overall strong chest. You need to work your upper, middle, and lower chest. Same with shoulders. There are three heads. Front, side, and rear delts. Plus your traps. If you are short on time, I suggest a full body workout. Choose one movement for each muscle group. Complete 4 sets of 10 reps for each movement. If one day you do flat bench, do incline the next, and decline the following, etc. If you need ideas for routines, feel free to send me a message.

I signed up for a trainer at one point and while it great motivation and pushed me to work harder. It was sub par information. Personally I wouldn't recommend it unless you really have the money to spend AND no one to train with.

I agree with the suggestion of doing abs at the end of each workout, just something small like planks or weighted crunches.

I would also suggest to always have your cardio at the end of the session/never before weights.