Trainer won't let me work on my abs yet :(
Mommy_Sans_The_Fat
Posts: 50
Hello. I had a couple of sessions with my trainer and he asked me what I wanted to work on this month. I told him my abs. He flat out said no, either my arms or legs I had to choose. I kind of went back and forth with him because, you know, I paid for him and I know what my problem areas are and I know what I really want to work on but he did not budge. I am really discouraged now. I'm working on my arms and doing cardio but my stomach is still so big like i'm 5 months pregnant.
Is there something in the books that says you can't train your abs first or could this be something he just doesn't want to do with me? Another worker at the gym told me that since i'm paying for this gym membership and this trainer he should work for me and I agree.
Is there something in the books that says you can't train your abs first or could this be something he just doesn't want to do with me? Another worker at the gym told me that since i'm paying for this gym membership and this trainer he should work for me and I agree.
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Replies
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I'd like a nicer stomach but I personally feel I have to cut the fat before I can tone it.
I can work on my 'abs' all I want but I won't be able to see them!
It might be he wants to make you stronger and shred some fat. Did you ask him to explain his method?0 -
I agree with you, you are paying good money for him to train you and he should at least be giving you jusifiable reasons as to why he won't do what you ask. Although you can't spot reduce so if you're looking for results by working your abs you won't get any until you cut your body fat percentage down enough0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.0 -
You cannot spot reduce fat, working your abs will just give you stronger ab muscles, but will not reduce the fat above them, so there will not be any viable improvement.0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
These people totally nailed your answer.0 -
Its better to cut the fat first, Ive cut mine down to about 13%, been working on the abs for 2 months and I still can't see anything, the fat needs to be down to atleast 10% before you will see any abs coming through so all the cardio will pay off and in no time you will get them abs through0
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It sounds like you have a decent trainer there (although I can see the poin that it would be better if she/he explained things). The reason is probably that your pt wants you to work bigger muscle groups than abs and is giving you enough core work as part of the legs workout? Just my hunch.0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
All of this...
Fat needs to go first! Otherwise, your ab workouts are useless in respect to visible results.0 -
Plus, building muscles in general (but especially larger ones like legs and back) will go a long way towards boosting your overall metabolism and fitness.0
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I just wanted to say this is very interesting!! My stomach is the place I notice my loss the most. Thanks for the info everyone!0
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He is right. I trained with my trainer last year for 9 months-no "ab" workouts. I had a tummy tuck 11/29 and my doctor did not have to repair any muscle due to all the work I did in the gym. SO.. yes, everyone here is right... the muscles you use to stabilize your body while doing other lower and upper body exercises as well as cardio are enough while you are still cutting fat.0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
These people totally nailed your answer.
Yup. Although, he just should have flat-out explained that to you. If he's not willing to share this sort of basic knowledge, then you may want to find another trainer.0 -
Listen to your trainer. You can not spot reduce. Trust me I use to spend hours on my ab roller thinking I was doing something.0
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Your body loses fat from head to foot and foot to head. It does not start from the center out...
So burning your arms and legs first is the correct approach. If he did not budge on your request then MONEY WELL SPENT!!!0 -
Yes, while it is true you are paying him, he is doing you a favor, in reality. At some point, if he hasn't aready, he will tell you (hopefully) foods to eat or not to eat to help cut back on fat. Without cutting back on the fat, any ab workouts you do are going to do you no good at all, because you will be creating muscle over fat tissue, therefore never seeing any real results.0
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I second what everyone else said. Doing ab work will not help you lose belly fat. Your stomach is not going to shrink by focusing on ab work. You need to focus on cardio and building up your large muscle groups. That will burn the fat. Crunches won't.0
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I'm not sure why he is flat-out refusing to let you work on your abs, but the old adage about abs being made in the kitchen rather than the gym is very true. If you're trying to flatten your belly, overall cardio work (along with cutting calories) is going to get you there much more effectively than ab work will.
(In fact, at my lowest weight at about this time last year, I was starting to develop a bit of what I would call a "4-pack," and I wasn't doing any ab work whatsoever. Just running, lifting, and cutting calories.)0 -
I can't see why you wouldn't want to have strong core muscles right away. Yes, you may not be able to see them, but they will still be there, helping you prevent injury and avoid back pain. To me, it sounds like your trainer's approach (if it is indeed what the pps explained) is too focused on physical appearance and not on your body's optimal functioning. But I'm no expert . . .0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
All of the above!
I was going to say myself, that you really don't have to work just abs to get a great ab workout.
I haven't isolated abs in at least a month, yet on Tuesday when I did a great workout on squats and deadlifts, I really felt it in my abs the next day. It hurt getting up off the bed / sofa and even hurt a bit when I laughed!
So with those, you're not only working your core, but you're also getting a great all over body workout, burning calories, and it hits your legs/butt hard too!0 -
Are you killing it with cardio yet? Until you do, working your abs is going to translate to a failure when you look for results.
Trust your trainer. As exciting as it is to see abs and all that glamour with a 6 pack, he is not leading you astray.0 -
Please help me understand too. I paid a trainer for the past month. We met once a week for 1/2 hour and he gave me taught me the things to do for that week, so bascially now that I am done with the trainer (until I save up more money again), he asked me what I wanted to work on and I said abs. We did core strengthening, pulls downs, used the bar weights, sliders side to side for upper thighs, etc. I have really not noticed any difference on inches or weight lost. ( I should mention that I also do cardio - interval training on the treadmill, or zumba or tone and tighten classes as well) but nothing budges. Did I just waste money on the trainer?
It is hard when you don't understand all of this, so anything education you can put out here is welcome!0 -
Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
this
He could let you work your abs, but he has only so much time with you and it would be a waste of your money. He is saving you frustration and money by waiting. I think you have a winner in him. Good luck with your goals!0 -
I agree with those that say listen to your trainer. Yes you are paying him, but if you knew what to do to get in shape you wouldn't have hired him. I hate some of the exercises my PT has me do, my biggest "trouble spot" is my abs, and the only core exercise he has me do is planks. This is to strengthen my core and not specifically targeting my abs, although it does work them. He told me at our first appointment that any ab specific work would be a waste of my time at this point.0
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If you are trying to spot reduce realize now that you really can't... You have to focus on losing the weight first before toning up...
Running, Weight Training, Walking, Yoga, and Swimming are just some of the great cardio and strength building exercises that will help you focus on burning fat...especially stubborn belly fat!
From the sounds of it your Trainer is just trying to ensure you maximize your time at the gym. Ab exercises are only good for developing your abs, not for losing weight. Those exercises will come later.
For now focus on eating right and cardio/strength training and you will lose the fat in no time!
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Why don't you ask your trainer about compound lifts? Then you'll both get your way.0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
this
He could let you work your abs, but he has only so much time with you and it would be a waste of your money. He is saving you frustration and money by waiting. I think you have a winner in him. Good luck with your goals!
agreed! Literally 10,000 sit ups a day is not going to give you the abs you want. Gotta lose the fat :grumble:0 -
Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
All of the above!
I was going to say myself, that you really don't have to work just abs to get a great ab workout.
I haven't isolated abs in at least a month, yet on Tuesday when I did a great workout on squats and deadlifts, I really felt it in my abs the next day. It hurt getting up off the bed / sofa and even hurt a bit when I laughed!
So with those, you're not only working your core, but you're also getting a great all over body workout, burning calories, and it hits your legs/butt hard too!
Yep they are all right. I have a trainer too and he does not have me do any exercises that "target " my abs. There are plenty of exercises that will work your abs and be more beneficial to you overall. Unfortunately great abs come from low body fat... and good diet! Good luck and keep it up, you will see a difference!0 -
The trainer I have we work out in combo's I do HIT or scupleting work outs 3 day's a wek the other days is either walking or free weight training or boxing. I will even jump on the WII as well. Your trainer knows best or at least they should. If you are not ejoying your self while training then I would say you need a diffrent trainer.0
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Until you cut the majority of the fat around your abdominal area, there really isn't any point in doing specific ab training. There are tons of workouts you can do that can develop your abs without you doing any ab-specific workout at all. Things like tricep-pushdowns, squats, dumbbell rows...anything that requires that you brace your body is basically going to engage your abs. Listen to your trainer. Stick with it. He knows what he is talking about and is only trying to help you. I hope this helped!
^^ This.
Here's the thing - you need to do cardio to burn off the fat. Doing arm and leg workouts will give you more immediate, positive results that you can be proud of and will push you to continue your efforts. Doing a bunch of crunches, planks, etc, now, will NOT give you the results you want. You need to burn the fat off, slim down, then work on building up your core. He's trying to put you on a track where you won't feel discouraged at not seeing results and quit.
Listen to him. You're paying him money for a reason. Give it a month. Then ask again.
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