Had my First Session with a PT

Terytha
Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
edited August 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
So uh... how long before I'm less of a wet noodle person? ;_;

Things I was expecting from a personal trainer: guidance and teaching on how to use equipment and what exercises to do.

Things I wasn't expecting:

Muscles being sore in places I didn't know muscles were. A farmer's carry hurts my chest like whoah and like damn.

Sometimes the heavy thing I was lifting was myself, which was easier somehow than 10 lb kettlebells? Question mark?

She's determined to fix my knock-knees, and that makes every exercise way harder. My knees don't like to be straight. I honestly didn't think they could. Jury's still out on that one.

(ETA: yep, I'm the person who only wanted to do cardio because weights suck. I don't want to look like a melted candle so I'll try for a bit, see how it goes.)

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    edited August 2019
    Training effects are specific to the type of movement, speed, angle, type of weight, reps, etc. So if you are challenging your muscles in new ways, it can feel more difficult than other movements you are used to, even if the weight is lighter. (And, quite frankly, a farmer’s carry is not an exercise you should be given in a first workout).

    I would recommend caution about getting too caught up in “fixing” your knees. Different bodies are aligned in different ways and being “knock kneed” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Trainers can sometimes get caught up in “fixing” things that they really aren’t qualified to do. If the alignment issues are due to muscle weakness, poor form, lack of control, then working on them can be beneficial. Just don’t push through pain or movements that are especially uncomfortable without saying something.

    But have fun and enjoy the new experiences.

    Forgot your first question:

    Depending on how hard the trainer works you at first, you will experience muscle soreness that can take 5-7 days to resolve and feel less uncomfortable. It will then take several workouts to master the exercises and movements (unless the trainer feels compelled to change up every workout, in which case it will take longer). It also takes some time to find the right weight to fatigue you within your chosen range of repetitions and to make some initial newbie gains. In my experience, this can take 2-6 weeks. Then there will be the day when the trainer increases the weight and at first it will feel like ‘OMG’, but then your muscles will “kick in” and you will be be able to do something you didn’t think was possible. And that’s when it becomes awesome.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited August 2019
    Oh I so know the muscles hurting where you didn’t know there were muscles.

    I thought there was something terrible wrong with me, I got over it.

    So glad that you have taken this step, your weight loss is going great, so working on strength and muscle/bone retention is a great next step.

    I’m a little twine-toed. My yoga instructor has me rotating my muscles in a way that I am straightening out. Don’t think it can’t be corrected, or improved, it can just takes time, lots of time.

    So excited for you.

    Cheers, h.

    Just read azdak’s reply and totally agree on the knock kneed comments. I know the cause of my twine toes so the corrections we work on are appropriate. h.
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    Azdak wrote: »
    Training effects are specific to the type of movement, speed, angle, type of weight, reps, etc. So if you are challenging your muscles in new ways, it can feel more difficult than other movements you are used to, even if the weight is lighter. (And, quite frankly, a farmer’s carry is not an exercise you should be given in a first workout).

    I would recommend caution about getting too caught up in “fixing” your knees. Different bodies are aligned in different ways and being “knock kneed” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Trainers can sometimes get caught up in “fixing” things that they really aren’t qualified to do. If the alignment issues are due to muscle weakness, poor form, lack of control, then working on them can be beneficial. Just don’t push through pain or movements that are especially uncomfortable without saying something.

    But have fun and enjoy the new experiences.

    Forgot your first question:

    Depending on how hard the trainer works you at first, you will experience muscle soreness that can take 5-7 days to resolve and feel less uncomfortable. It will then take several workouts to master the exercises and movements (unless the trainer feels compelled to change up every workout, in which case it will take longer). It also takes some time to find the right weight to fatigue you within your chosen range of repetitions and to make some initial newbie gains. In my experience, this can take 2-6 weeks. Then there will be the day when the trainer increases the weight and at first it will feel like ‘OMG’, but then your muscles will “kick in” and you will be be able to do something you didn’t think was possible. And that’s when it becomes awesome.

    It doesn't hurt my knees to straighten them, but it feels weird and requires so much concentration to maintain.

    2-6 weeks, cool. I'll look forward to feeling less weaksauce lol.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Totally agree with the knock knee comments above. Things can be improved, yes, but don't necessarily need to be "corrected" we are all different and a good PT should be able to work with your body to adapt things to suit you.

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