[Menace]

Anyone ever used one for getting swole? I'm beginning to realize that I simply may not want to get big badly enough or have the discipline to do it. I always fall off the wagon, so I'm thinking about getting a personal trainer 1/week or something like that.

[WesternCancer]

I'd suggest getting a gym buddy that will harass you into going or at the very least an online accountability buddy. If you can find a good personal trainer that actually knows what hes doing ie. not doing overhead squats on bosu balls and are willing to shell out the dough to do it you could do that. Maybe try craigslist, bodybuilding.com to find a gym buddy in your area or ask a sw0le dude at your gym if you can workout with him. You could even find an accountability buddy on here too (I'd be willing). Just email back and forth once a week or more detailing what you've done, what you're going to do, progress, results, diet etc.

[Menace]

Thanks WC, I'll give it some thought. A work out buddy would be great, actually. I just also need to figure out where I am going to consistently work out. There's a gym around the corner from my work, and I have weights at home. So there is not much excuse really.

[FourToTheFloor]

I never recommend anybody get a personal trainer unless it's a powerlifting coach.

Think about it, their livelihood is dependent on you needing them. Therefore they'll make sure you progress slowly

[Luxe]

I trained with the strength coach of an NFL team for a few months. There was no secret sauce. The workouts were the basic power lifts you would read about in Starting Strength. That said the workouts were always difficult and I was pushed to lift heavier weights each week.

The benefit of training with him was:
- I learned how to lift as he had an eye for correcting form and mechanics
- Variability, it's easy to fall into a routine of doing the same lifts
- Helped track progress and pushed me to lift heavier
- Helped with nutrition

Quote:

Think about it, their livelihood is dependent on you needing them. Therefore they'll make sure you progress slowly

I totally agree with this. I lift at a corporate gym now where the trainers charge exorbitant rates, and their workouts are complete bullshit. It should just feel like job, though the hardest part about getting huge isn't lifting, it's the massive calories and protein you're required to eat daily.

[Hades]

Get a lifting buddy, but when or if he can't show up with you, don't make it an excuse to quit lifting.

[Mage]

Personal trainers are parasites feeding on the insecure and rich women wanting to cheat on their boring, fat and always working sponsor with a younger and/or more athletic man.

It is stupid to hire one, but nice to be one.

[Ensam]

If you're going to hire someone, hire a lifting/strength coach. Someone who works with college/pro athletes. They're around in most metropolitan areas and cheaper than you might think.

[bojangles]

I'd only get a personal trainer if you've not been to a gym before and don't know the correct techniques for doing certain exercises. You need good form doing squats, deadlifts and even bench presses, as you can fuck up your back if not done correctly.

A gym buddy is much better if you know all those, someone who can push you along and spot heavy sets for ya

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(01-08-2013 05:21 AM)bojangles Wrote:  

I'd only get a personal trainer if you've not been to a gym before and don't know the correct techniques for doing certain exercises.

I doubt most personal trainers even know the correct techniques.

[Menace]

I was thinking about this dude: http://www.everybodyspersonaltrainer.com...tition.htm

He looks pretty swole.

I'll try and see if I can find a workout buddy on craigslist maybe.

[Lukey]

(01-08-2013 07:57 AM)Menace Wrote:  

I was thinking about this dude: http://www.everybodyspersonaltrainer.com...tition.htm

He looks pretty swole.

I'll try and see if I can find a workout buddy on craigslist maybe.

Just because he is big doesn't mean he is a good trainer. Some of the most dangerous form and stupid advice I have heard has come from PT's.

As has been mentioned, go with a powerlifting coach. There is serious technique involved in oly lifts, and your money is well spent on someone who knows what they are doing as you will be able to apply the knowledge for life.

Take it from someone that has gone full cycle from PT -> beach muscle workouts 5x week -> dabbling in PED's -> now doing only oly lifts and being the strongest I have ever been in my life!

[bojangles]

(01-08-2013 07:48 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(01-08-2013 05:21 AM)bojangles Wrote:  

I'd only get a personal trainer if you've not been to a gym before and don't know the correct techniques for doing certain exercises.

I doubt most personal trainers even know the correct techniques.

guess it depends what gym you're at. The PT's at my gym are one of the following:
pilates teacher
osteopath
bjj black belts
muay thai fighter
capoeira teachr
former boxing pro
current uk mw k1 champ

[Menace]

Alright, I found this training facility, that is sort of near where I live: http://www.supremesportspt.com/

Would def. be a lifestyle change to drive there after work...or to do it in the morning.

[Cr33pin]

I bought a personal trainer yesterday for 50 bucks........
Nike+ for the Xbox360 Kinect ha
Im gonna use it since its cold outside an its Jan so the YMCA here is crazy busy with people who think 2013 is the year for them to lose 200 lbs

Im moving to the beach March 1st, im gonna use the Nike+ till then and once I move hit the weights, my new house has a squat rack in it!!!

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(01-08-2013 11:42 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

my new house has a squat rack in it!!!

This is an essential piece of furniture. Squat rack + House = home sweet home.

[Panacea]

Most trainers at your local gym are going to be pretty much worthless. Most of them get paid on commission and the only way they make money is if you keep coming back. The ones I worked with were pretty terrible they just had me doing all kinds of crazy shit and kept telling me how I shouldn't be doing compound lifts at 17.

[Thomas the Rhymer]

(01-08-2013 02:44 PM)Panacea Wrote:  

Most trainers at your local gym are going to be pretty much worthless. Most of them get paid on commission and the only way they make money is if you keep coming back. The ones I worked with were pretty terrible they just had me doing all kinds of crazy shit and kept telling me how I shouldn't be doing compound lifts at 17.

I had a similar experience with a personal trainer. Made me do all sorts of machine work for 3 months and I made almost no progress.

The most annoying personal trainers are those guys who approached me while I was doing squats and started telling me, uninvited, that I'm going too low on the squat and I will destroy my knees.

Other uninvited tips:
- During my heavy compound lifts: You should not rest more than 30 seconds before your next set!
- During my bent-over barbell rows: You should do that exercise standing up straight! You'll get more muscle development!
- During my squats: You should the leg press, you can move more weight, which will aid development! You can trust me, I've read all the muscle magazines!

[mikeymike]

Don't hire a personal trainer, hire someone who specializes in nutrition. Personal trainers require little to no training, there is no secret way to workout, all the exercises are out there, play around with them find out which ones work for you. Somebody who knows how an athlete needs to eat is an invaluable tool, they can change your physique in no time. If you're going to spend money that's the only place to put it otherwise get studying it on your own. Busting ass in the gym is the easy part, eating the part is the bitch and kills most peoples momentum.

[LooTa]

(01-08-2013 07:48 AM)Thomas the Rhymer Wrote:  

(01-08-2013 05:21 AM)bojangles Wrote:  

I'd only get a personal trainer if you've not been to a gym before and don't know the correct techniques for doing certain exercises.

I doubt most personal trainers even know the correct techniques.

Sad, but true. I used to work as a PT, and when I was doing my qualification, I was consistently "top of the class" while half the others just sat around looking clueless, and I'd only rate my gym knowledge as average. Half the time they couldn't even be bothered trying the exercises for themselves! if it's just qualifications you're looking at, I'm only as qualified as the rest of those idiots, although ~15 years (at the time) of martial arts training gave me a huge edge over the rest of them in real terms.

Another scam is the certifications. 15 years training in karate, boxing, muay thai and a black belt in a mixed martial art called zen do kai didn't qualify me to be "certified" in the use of boxing equipment, while a 1 day training course does. Go figure. Just becasue they're 'certfied" is no guarantee they have a clue what they're talking about.

Anyway, there's some good ones out there, but take your time in finding one who suits your goals, and make sure you clearly communicate what it is you want from them.

[Magic Bullets]

A lot of people are now waking up to PTs, possibly largely due to the GFC. A lot of the time they are glorified juice peddalers, whose job it is to prepare people for comps. It is common to see them getting clients doing useless and pointless exercises, while charging $60 per hour. Many of them are paying for the privilage by renting gym space. I think we maybe witnessing the decline in PTs, in this current climate, many people are awake to the bs. I can see the advantages in assisting the elderly or people with disabilities, I just see so much of it as ego stroking and the whole rent a friend thing. Don't get me wrong there are some great people in the industry, there have been a lot of idiots who have given it a bad wrap.

[Insignia]

Get one of your friends to go workout with you and make sure he is a guy that talks a lot of shit because that will push you to lift more, everytime you get lazy he will just talk shit to you and you can get motivation.

[Magic Bullets]

To each their own, in my experience the guys who train alone are the ones getting the job done.

[spanish_courage]

vics natural total bodybuilding package I think is the best option for you..It will help you to introduce the long term behaviour in the corporal recomposition...that is much more important that 1 or two weeks with a personal trainer.

http://www.vicsnatural.com/

there are loads of videos about him in youtube

[Magic Bullets]

I would be pretty certain he has used juice at some stage. Drug testing is a joke in Natural Bodybuilding for a start.