I've recently had the urge to get a membership at another gym, just to workout myself. No hassles, no being "ON" while working out, no "emergencies" from management, no worrying about setting a good example for clients. Has anyone else experienced this?
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“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee
I train where i train clients for two of my 4 sessions. The others are at an oly gym.
I never exp the whole client clashing thing because I train during times when theyre not there.
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OH MY GOD do I relate to that feeling! I hate training at my own gym! The calls, the management issues, the people who want to stop and talk... It never ends!
I tried to work it out where I trained at another facility, but I just didn't get there enough to warrant doing it. That's why I got so into mountain biking and rock climbing, but the hip issues pretty much wrecked all that. I didn't touch a weight for a year and got in great shape (results may vary... I had been fairly muscular and it is actually very difficult to lose size I learned).
I'm honestly lucky to get in a couple workouts a week. I try to do some extra training by jumping in with my outdoor boot camps.
Yup, I know exactly what you're talking about. That's one of the reasons I burned out on working out a few years ago. Going to another gym wasn't an option for me (small town) but if you can then I think it might be a good idea.
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"Is there no standard anymore?" - Walk, Pantera
I definitely know what you mean. I avoid it somewhat since I tend to train in the middle of the day which is non-peak hours. Any time I try to train in the evenings I'm bombarded.
I have some equipment at home, so I try to get a session or two a week in at the house. That works for some of my accessory movements and keeps me out of the gym.
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Isaac Wilkins, M.Ed, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, and who cares what other letters?
I work at a gym where most of the members are business people, and even though it's a really nice gym, it doesn't have the atmosphere that really challenges the members to improve. I found another gym that is about to open, that caters to bodybuilders, MMA fighters, and athletes. I think I'm going to join.
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“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee
I notice at my gym that the trainers try to disguise themselves when working out (hats pulled way low, girls with their hair up and covered, etc) and try very hard to NOT be noticed. So, I guess it must be a problem for all trainers. Since I do recognize most of them, I just don't even acknowledge them when I am traning at the same time as them, as I know they don't want to be bothered.
The trainers at my private gym in the trendy part of town all have 24 hour memberships at the other side of town.
I actually encourage my trainer to jump in with me on upper body days especially since those exercises seems to go by quicker. It gets him to work out and gives me the training on how to be a good spot as well as allows me to learn how to watch for good form. I actually find imbalances in him as well as some form issues. Finally I am always inspired by how he pushes himself and it teaches me to push as well. It is a win/win thing.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I thought you did not train your clients with splits and focused largely on more complex movements. Calf day? Come on...
I know I am new to all of this, but I am not as big a fan of the complex movment only workouts. For normal people it is perhaps good but more athletic people perhaps not. I am watching how this is working on at least one person and I see imbalances in his develpment that I personally do not care for. I think a balanced approach of full body complex and splits might be a good ticket for my goals. As a beginner, I have much to learn so learning the exercises in any manner is probably okay for me so long as I learn the form to protect myself from injury.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
For my particular case, I think it's good that my trainer trains at the gym where his clients are. Here's why - we train at a Planet Fitness, so if he didn't work out there, it'd send the message (to me) that PF is good enough for me, but that he needs a better stocked gym to get a workout. I'd not bother him either way since I only go there for our sessions and I never bother anyone when they're working out as I expect the same courtesy.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I was actually only kidding... Sorry, thought it was obvious. Bodybuilders crack me up how they do splits.
No I apologize. I am still too new to really get all this so those jokes still go over my head.
While on some levels bothersome, your arrogance about your philosophies are admirable due to your experiences. I cannot wait for the day when I can also have such well formed opinions on these details.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I can only poke fun because I used to have everything broken up just like that. My early bodybuilding routines in the 80's were comical. I actually used to even do quads on their own day and hams on their own day. This is back when I worked out 6 days a week and every workout was to somewhere beyond exhaustion. Every set was to failure. *sigh* Those were the days.
I'm not poking fun at you so much as myself from my past and the people (bodybuilders) who for some reason still do the same silly 90's style workouts. Like some guy who still wears a mullet not realizing that it went out of style and is never coming back. The entire concept of bodybuilding relies on people hanging on every word a trainer says because he's HUGE, but the dirty little secret is that he's only huge through chemical assistance, and not from his vast training knowledge.
I can only poke fun because I used to have everything broken up just like that. My early bodybuilding routines in the 80's were comical. I actually used to even do quads on their own day and hams on their own day. This is back when I worked out 6 days a week and every workout was to somewhere beyond exhaustion. Every set was to failure. *sigh* Those were the days.
I'm not poking fun at you so much as myself from my past and the people (bodybuilders) who for some reason still do the same silly 90's style workouts. Like some guy who still wears a mullet not realizing that it went out of style and is never coming back. The entire concept of bodybuilding relies on people hanging on every word a trainer says because he's HUGE, but the dirty little secret is that he's only huge through chemical assistance, and not from his vast training knowledge.
With respect to training in splits I am not yet sold on how bad it is due to the fact that there are a lot of people out there doing it with good results. The question of course is if they are all doing it with drug use. But even NROL does splits in the hypertrophy sections so I guess I don't get what it is exactly that you do that is different. I still have a lot to learn so will keep this thought in my mind as I travel my path.
Is it true that even the guys who claim they are natural and the ones showing in the natural shows are also using chemicals? I ask this honestly because I am about to train with a BBing trainer who shows and wins only natural shows and has assured me he trains cleanly. His clients win too. I want to spend a few months with him to glean his trade secrets and to learn a bit about the "art" of body comp. It is just something I have been interested in since I was 20 and could never afford the time or money to learn. Once I have spent a quarter with him I will make a goal to either jump in it or not. I have been MEGA careful about dipping my foot in that pond due to all these perceptions and have looked for the past 10 months for a trainer or gym I thought was really clean and honest. I know from that experience that the world is primarily pretty awful but is it all really bad? If it isn't possible that he is clean or trains cleanly I would like to know that now.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
Is it true that even the guys who claim they are natural and the ones showing in the natural shows are also using chemicals?
Truly natural BBers are often the type that "don't look like they lift" as many a Bro would put it.
Most guys that end up having any potential for bodybuilding end up going on something sooner or later, as that's really the only way to succeed, so the pickings for the really natural shows are slim.
Beyond that, people are so used to seeing the mass-monsters that guys that really are natural just don't have the same impact. It's a catch-22.
And yes, a lot of billed natural shows are really just "natural" (wink wink, nudge nudge).
Quote:
I ask this honestly because I am about to train with a BBing trainer who shows and wins only natural shows and has assured me he trains cleanly. His clients win too. I want to spend a few months with him to glean his trade secrets and to learn a bit about the "art" of body comp. It is just something I have been interested in since I was 20 and could never afford the time or money to learn. Once I have spent a quarter with him I will make a goal to either jump in it or not. I have been MEGA careful about dipping my foot in that pond due to all these perceptions and have looked for the past 10 months for a trainer or gym I thought was really clean and honest. I know from that experience that the world is primarily pretty awful but is it all really bad? If it isn't possible that he is clean or trains cleanly I would like to know that now.
Impossible to say w/o seeing the guy or knowing more, but I've learned over the years that most bodybuilders are just full of shit. Not all, but most.
And this especially includes drug use.
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I am a bodybuilder, not competitive but i lift weights to build my body. I am just maintaining now having gotten as big as i want. I just wanted to say that i am fairly good size(my physique is probably similar to jean claude van damme) and i did this without drugs. that is me below to prove my point, Granted im not a mass monster, but i dont want to be. I want to be fit and lean. If someone looks like ronnie coleman or arnold then yeah they are probably on steroids...but if someone is in "mens health" type shape, then they may or may not be on steroids and conclusions shouldnt be jumped to.
So point is some bodybuilders can be great personal trainers. The thing is they have to understand the differences in goals. I know that most people dont want to take things to the extreme that i do and I help them achieve what THEY want. Im not trying to disagree here because i do know of lots of guys who take tons of drugs and know nothing of training/nutrition, but being trained by someone in shape is alot better than some of the fat ass trainers ive seen training people. Sometimes i dont know which is the client and which is the trainer.
Yeah that was just to prove a point that a good physique can be built naturally, also it is true that if a guy is 5'6" 220 and 5%bf, that guy is probably on the sauce...lol. I'm sure some of those HUGE guys are knowledgeable, but most people who go that extreme are sort of unstable in their lives, and that may not be someone you want to try and help you get fit.
He's not insanely massive for his frame, and the give-away muscles (traps and delts) aren't blown out of proportion, but it's hard to see the traps with the picture angle. There's not any signs of gyno either.
He is pretty freaky-ripped in the lower abs and legs especially, but that by itself isn't always a give-away.
I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, at least on AAS use. He might be throwing in some fat-burning or diuretic goodies (anything from clen to GH to Lasix), but the usual AAS signs aren't there.
As long as he's not getting things like crazy random nose-bleeds, lower back pain, or doing things like noticeably getting much larger/stronger in short periods of time, I think I can buy natty/mostly-natty.
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This is my new trainer come end of this month (name is Bruce Lester) Natural?
Let me tell you guys, he may/may not be natural. But dont place so much emphasis on that. I am natural, i choose to be that way, mostly because im as big as i want and because i enjoy this lifestlye. Many of my friends use steroids and i dont condemn them for that. All of these sides are WAY overrated and so is roid rage. All of my friends who are nice guys off steroids are nice guys off. All the people i know who are assholes when they are off are also assholes when they are on. Also the effect that these drugs have is way overrated, i know many people on tons of anabolics and i still have a better physique than them, because drugs dont take the place of diet and exercise.
My opinion on this guy is he knows his stuff. He knows how to lose fat and gain muscle. period. Now will he be a match for you? That depends on if he is able to get on your level and not stay stuck on overdrive like he is for himself. If he has the ability to take a step back and design programs for people with lesser goals and disiplines then he is probably a really good trainer. The only way to find this out for sure is to train with him.
Jay, thanks for your thoughts too. While I agree with you on the overreaction to the use of steriods, it is important to me to train in an all natural gym so I can learn without confusion. My goal is to train natural only. I actually know Bruce a little bit and do believe he is natural. He says he is and he shows in Natty shows and has been tested. (no issues found) He wins shows and his clients win shows consistently. He is a personable man with no ego that I can see.
My bf is fairly low right now and my weight ideal. I did my first bulk and cut and I am ready to go into overdrive a little bit and see what I got. I have looked for a long while to find a trainer who can help ease me into bbing in a natural and good way. I have always wanted to experiment with body recomposition and have finally the time and money to do so. When I read about how shitty all bbers are on this board and how training splits is so useless it makes me doubt my goals and the direction I am taking. Bottom line is this guy trains splits and even body parts and he trains his clients that way. He looks good and so do his other clients. (In fact he is more cut and more symetrical than most trainers) While I have the utmost respect for the trainers on this board I am going to try this way of training because the results speak to me. Worst case is I blow lots of money and time I suppose....
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
He could pass for natural to me. He's got something funky going on with his quads, but other than that, he looks like an attainable physique.
X2!
I was ready to say "he looks completely natural" til I scrolled the page down and saw those quads!!! Not sayin' he isn't, but wow... big quads!
Either way, enjoy training with him. The real test, IMO, isn't if HE wins - it's that you said his clients do well and that you like his personality / style...
Jay, thanks for your thoughts too. While I agree with you on the overreaction to the use of steriods, it is important to me to train in an all natural gym so I can learn without confusion. My goal is to train natural only. I actually know Bruce a little bit and do believe he is natural. He says he is and he shows in Natty shows and has been tested. (no issues found) He wins shows and his clients win shows consistently. He is a personable man with no ego that I can see.
My bf is fairly low right now and my weight ideal. I did my first bulk and cut and I am ready to go into overdrive a little bit and see what I got. I have looked for a long while to find a trainer who can help ease me into bbing in a natural and good way. I have always wanted to experiment with body recomposition and have finally the time and money to do so. When I read about how shitty all bbers are on this board and how training splits is so useless it makes me doubt my goals and the direction I am taking. Bottom line is this guy trains splits and even body parts and he trains his clients that way. He looks good and so do his other clients. (In fact he is more cut and more symetrical than most trainers) While I have the utmost respect for the trainers on this board I am going to try this way of training because the results speak to me. Worst case is I blow lots of money and time I suppose....
I respect everyone on this board and believe in a wide variety of training methods, BUT i too train with a split and have my clients do so. At first it is just a simple upper/lower spit, then it can move on to a more traditional back/bis, chest/tris, shoulders, legs routine. I like the split. I think all of our different training styles enable everyone on the board to learn from each other, and hatch new ideas, but i dont think you are wasting time doing a split, especially if wetting your feet in bodybuilding is a goal.
X2!
I was ready to say "he looks completely natural" til I scrolled the page down and saw those quads!!! Not sayin' he isn't, but wow... big quads!
Either way, enjoy training with him. The real test, IMO, isn't if HE wins - it's that you said his clients do well and that you like his personality / style...
Yeah im reading "Synthol" in those quads, but like i said you can NEVER judge someone. You can have an opinion, but its nothing more than an opinion, and that and 5 bucks will buy you a coffee at starbucks...lol.
I respect everyone on this board and believe in a wide variety of training methods, BUT i too train with a split and have my clients do so. At first it is just a simple upper/lower spit, then it can move on to a more traditional back/bis, chest/tris, shoulders, legs routine. I like the split. I think all of our different training styles enable everyone on the board to learn from each other, and hatch new ideas, but i dont think you are wasting time doing a split, especially if wetting your feet in bodybuilding is a goal.
The key question is WHY you do what you do. It's no big deal if you do splits. Just know why you are doing them, and whether or not they are optimal for every client that you have.
Training where you personal train?
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