joel3736 Member

You can do the distance learning through ISSA, which is the oldest of the fitness certification organizations and is a very good one that I have. You can take the exam and quizzes all online and the book is very in-depth. I am currently taking the NASM cert, but honestly I feel like ISSA is the best initial one to go with…

I am a personal trainer and can understand where you are coming from if you are inferring that he is talking to clients and other gym members for full conversations and such and you are basically resting for 5-10 mins between sets, but if it is a simple hi or hello or how are you? That shouldn't affect the workout at all.…

If you want to be "skinny fat" then eat whatever you want as long as you remain in a caloric deficit. This could also (should say will also) lead to deficiencies of certain nutrients. I guarantee you that I will perform better eating a nonfat plain greek yogurt before a workout than somebody who ate a piece of cheesecake…

If you are trying to gain muscle mass, it is 1 g (or more) per lb of bodyweight.

Depending on the qualifications and knowledge of the trainer, I would absolutely advocate the use of a trainer. They can be a huge tool to get a person to where they need to be physically and mentally. But just do your homework and make sure that you are going to a trainer with credentials. Also many trainers will offer a…

Well the price of a personal training session will vary by location, experience of the trainer, and his credentials (certifications/degrees). For instance at the gym I used to train at, it was $40-$60 per half hour session (though I only saw $6 of it lol) At private studios as well as at more high end gyms, the prices can…

Muscle does in fact way more than fat...FACT. However to gain a pound of fat requires a surplus of about 3500 extra calories where as it takes 2500 for a pound of muscle. But muscle DOES way more than fat.

I eat them, hey comprise have of the protein of the egg and all of the HDL/high density lipoprotein or "good cholesterol" that helps to lower the LDL/low density lipoprotein or "bad cholesterol" levels. Plus they contain choline and plenty of other nutrients. I believe the choline helps with either brain function or…

Also the carbs shuttle the amino acids to the muscles at a much quicker rate, as long as you don't add much fat to your post workout meal, as that will slow down this process.

One good book that talks about this in great detail is a book called Nutrient Timing. It completely advocates taking both protein and simple carbs within 30-45 mins of finishing your workout as this is when your muscles reap the most benefits since they are most insulin sensitive around this time and receive up to 100% of…

Intense training can be a resistance training program for say 45 mins to an hour, taking 1-2 mins of rest between sets. It could also be say a long 30-60 min or longer run on the treadmill or outside. It could be a combination of the 2. Perhaps a zumba class where you are constantly moving and sweating and getting the…

I have read up on this over the years and basically as I understand it, any excess protein that your body cannot digest, the protein will be stripped of its nitrogen and the amino acids will be flushed back through the blood where it will go to your kidneys and excreted from your body in the form of urea. So basically it…

If you partake in an intense workout, it is recommended to have fast digesting carbs/electrolytes within 30-45 mins. of finishing that workout in an effort to replenish muscle glycogen and promote muscle recovery. Many studies have been done to validate this notion.

Breaking up your workout will not disrupt your gain really. It is harder to do with say resistance training because it is hard to hit the same muscles multiple times in a day, of course some programs promote this kind of training. As far as cardio goes it should be fine, just depends on how your knees and shoes feel. I…

I have seen many of the body rock workouts and some seem pretty good and innovative. You certainly wouldn't get bored doing the workouts. 12-15 minutes is generally not a significant amount of time to induce too much physical or physiologic change but those workouts are pretty intense from the looks of it. Trying some of…

Well I have always loved the bodybuilding style so I typically do resistance training but will include power and stability exercises from time to time for sports performance and core strength purposes. It's each to their own I suppose. Which is the beauty of being a personal trainer, I get to work with clients with…

Drinking a fast digesting protein shake and consuming fast digesting carbs (e.g. white bagel, lowfat chocolate milk, white bread, white rice, Gatorade, etc.) will aid in muscle recovery so that symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) are minimized. For protein shakes, there are many different types of whey that…

Well it was rude of the guy to start using the machine without asking if you were using it. Usually if I see someone using a machine or bench that I want to use, I ask how many sets they have left or if I could possibly work in and get in a set during their rest period. Next time, just be like, "excuse me I was using that…

For people who experiment with this venture, it is divided into 2 phases, the bulking phase and the cutting phase. The bulking phase involves eating and training at a calorie surplus basically by eating more calories than your body can expend in an effort to gain muscle mass. The objective is to calculate the quantity of…

The principal of specificity is different for everyone and each person has different muscles that they like to pair together in a split routine. Bodybuilders often go with 1 body part a day, 5 days a week, while other strength athletes like football players and wrestlers might pair 2-3 muscles together, 5-6 days a week. It…

Yeah I am a personal trainer and I would never prescribe a routine absent of all leg training. That is horrible. A person must be well-balanced by working all muscle groups to some degree. Sounds like you are speaking of the marathon runner type of physique, but if you look at them, they may all have skinny legs (not lean,…

Smith Machine is a good starting point to do squats. If your gym doesn't have a squat rack, the smith machine is the next best thing. It won't stimulate your core stabilizers and such but you can actually go heavier, so take advantage of it. But if at all possible in the future you can maybe inquire and see if the gym has…

The best way to avoid blowing out your knees of course is practicing good form on all squat movements. But if you are already predisposed to bad knees, then alternative squat movements would be the front squat and smith machine squat, but neither of these stimulate the gluteus complex to the same degree.

Well everyone is different in this regard, some people experience hypertrophy more easily in say the gluteus complex and maybe more slowly in another muscle group so it differs from person to person. As far nutrition, to induce hypertrophy, the golden rule is always to work at a caloric surplus, by consuming more than can…

Hi how are you on this evening. I am personal trainer in Chicago and with regards to your question that I get a lot as a trainer, the obvious no thrills choice would be any type of squat, be it regular barbell back squat, prison squat, hindu squats, etc. just be sure to contract your gluteus muscles throughout the…