Right now I'm thinking I will join a gym for maybe 3 months, work out there 2/week and at home 1/week, and then possibly get 1 training session per week, then see what progress I make (or don't make). Also will see a nutritionist. It will be an experiment basically.
Personal Trainer
The reason I and some other posters advocate powerlifting coaches is because they will focus solely on making you stronger. Because strength and muscle mass are obviously correlated, Olympic lifting styles will get you ripped the fastest.
For just getting bigger, a trainer probably isn't worth the bother or cost. You can get the basics re diet and exercise from books, online, etc. I used a trainer and found it useful for improving posture and gait and recognizing and addressing various asymmetries in my body. A trainer can also help with getting and keeping proper form for each exercise so you avoid injury. To get these benefits you would need to find a good trainer - not just the typical meathead trainer at the local gym. I've had more luck working with female trainers vs. the bulky simian guys who work at most gyms.
As someone who started a weightlifting regiment 12 weeks ago and hasn't missed a workout since without consulting a trainer, I can vouch for the perspective that you don't need one. This is what I did:
1) Went to youtube and watched videos of bodybuilders talking about technique and which lifts to focus on when you want to get big, but are starting out. like this one below. I started with this and it is still the core of my workout, I've just added things in and deleted things depending on my previous lifts:
2) Eat clean. Your metabolism will go into overdrive as your body goes ape shit for protein and calories to feed the healing. Don't use it as an excuse to pig out. Hit a big protein shake within 30 minutes of your workout, eat lean protein and healthy fats - white meat turkey, chicken, salmon, avocado, - that's what I gorge myself on post workout. Eat complex carbs before the workout so you'll have energy. I go for a carne asada taco and big bowl of beans for lunch on the days i know I'm lifting after work. Gets protein into my system and the beans are the healthiest complex carb and source of protein there is. Just don't prepare em with tons of sugar.
3) Discipline. Think about how great you're gonna feel about your accomplishment 6 months from today. That's your motivation. You're gonna look great if you do it right. Your friends will notice, your parents will notice, and girls will pick up on your confidence. If you really want it, you'll find the time and you don't need a trainer to motivate you. Genuine motivation, not the kind that you get from a trainer psyching you up, is what you need to sustain a commitment and that has to be real.
4) Don't go to the gym unless you are energetic and have a goal in mind of exactly how you are going to push your workout further than the previous weeks workout. Going in and doing the same thing as the week before is better than nothing, but you won't see consistent improvement in strength. You'll plateau, get discouraged, and lose motivation. Decide whether you're doing another rep set, increasing weight, adding another lift, etc before walking into the gym. Write it down on a post it and bring it with you. The act of writing it down makes your brain get into the zone quicker. Less mental resistance when its time to actually get down to business.
1) Went to youtube and watched videos of bodybuilders talking about technique and which lifts to focus on when you want to get big, but are starting out. like this one below. I started with this and it is still the core of my workout, I've just added things in and deleted things depending on my previous lifts:
2) Eat clean. Your metabolism will go into overdrive as your body goes ape shit for protein and calories to feed the healing. Don't use it as an excuse to pig out. Hit a big protein shake within 30 minutes of your workout, eat lean protein and healthy fats - white meat turkey, chicken, salmon, avocado, - that's what I gorge myself on post workout. Eat complex carbs before the workout so you'll have energy. I go for a carne asada taco and big bowl of beans for lunch on the days i know I'm lifting after work. Gets protein into my system and the beans are the healthiest complex carb and source of protein there is. Just don't prepare em with tons of sugar.
3) Discipline. Think about how great you're gonna feel about your accomplishment 6 months from today. That's your motivation. You're gonna look great if you do it right. Your friends will notice, your parents will notice, and girls will pick up on your confidence. If you really want it, you'll find the time and you don't need a trainer to motivate you. Genuine motivation, not the kind that you get from a trainer psyching you up, is what you need to sustain a commitment and that has to be real.
4) Don't go to the gym unless you are energetic and have a goal in mind of exactly how you are going to push your workout further than the previous weeks workout. Going in and doing the same thing as the week before is better than nothing, but you won't see consistent improvement in strength. You'll plateau, get discouraged, and lose motivation. Decide whether you're doing another rep set, increasing weight, adding another lift, etc before walking into the gym. Write it down on a post it and bring it with you. The act of writing it down makes your brain get into the zone quicker. Less mental resistance when its time to actually get down to business.
EasyMoney,
Thanks, your post has made me reconsider my plan. I think I will speak to a nutrionist and possibly do a few sessions with a coach to make sure my form on the big exercies is on point, but will work out from home.
Thanks, your post has made me reconsider my plan. I think I will speak to a nutrionist and possibly do a few sessions with a coach to make sure my form on the big exercies is on point, but will work out from home.
The best personal trainer is a workout journal to record your lifts. It's kept me going steady for a year now and I don't regret a minute I spend writing down in it.
The only motivation I need to work out the 3 to 6 times a week that I do is to flip through my workout journal and check out all the shit I've done the past year.
The only motivation I need to work out the 3 to 6 times a week that I do is to flip through my workout journal and check out all the shit I've done the past year.
“I have a very simple rule when it comes to management: hire the best people from your competitors, pay them more than they were earning, and give them bonuses and incentives based on their performance. That’s how you build a first-class operation.”
― Donald J. Trump
If you want some PDF's on bodyweight exercise with little to no equipment, send me a PM and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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