I’m a personal trainer AMA

[Whitechocraspberrycheesecake]

Anything health/ fitness related

@Runningmummy41

I really want to tone up my abs. I run 3-4 times a week anything up to 15k a run. I walk everywhere and have an active job. I had an emergency c section 8 years ago and just have this horrible little pouch. (I’m slim and a size 8 so don’t want to loose weight just tone up). As with some pp I’d like to get into weights but don’t have the funds for gym membership and also have anxiety around men 🙄 hence I guess why I run. Any tips for toning up my mum tum would be great 😀

A Pilates class might work well for you- there are loads of zoom classes available now if you don’t want to go to an actual class.

You could incorporate some core work after your runs- planks, side planks (never be more than 30 secs- progress the exercise to make it harder rather than increasing time), dead bugs, flutter kicks, 4 point kneeling extensions, ab curls, oblique curls, leg raises, reverse crunches…pick a couple of those each time.

@CatCup

What advice would you give to someone who just can't be bothered to exercise. No interest in it. How do you motivate someone to get started? And what sort of exercise would you suggest to begin with? Thanks.

I would say try to find something you actually enjoy so that you are more likely to stick with it. If cardio and resistance training aren’t for you, would you be more likely to enjoy a team sport? Zumba or dance class? Swimming- anything you might slightly enjoy give a go.

Failing that- make a financial commitment which will make you go- and you might end up enjoying it!

Best exercises to tone and lift bum and abs please xxx

What's your approach to training with people with eating disorders?

Is swimming a good exercise? I always found running brilliant but being overweight I'm afraid of putting too much pressure on my joints.

@Turquoisa80 if you only have that small a gap I would say your DR has healed as much as it will do- DR is normally more than 2 fingers width. If you still have a bit of a tummy you might need to reduce your body fat (sorry- it’s hard to know without seeing you) and alongside that incorporate a full body exercise program which includes core.

@purplesequins ahhh thanks

Men and women are really very different, hence why I’ve chosen to specialise in women only.

I’m sorry- I’m not really very knowledge about YouTube videos- I don’t know any to recommend I’m afraid.

@Masdintle- yes absolutely love a rowing machine. Make sure your form is good, then go for it!

I personally really like reformer Pilates- it’s pretty challenging! Normal Pilates would be just as good if not better to start off with. If you fancy it definitely give it a go, a decent instructor will be able to adapt any exercises you struggle with.

@Socialcarenope if you are already fit and healthy and happy as you are, I would say keep your step count nice and high and don’t worry too much! Resistance training has huge benefits for women, as does cardiovascular exercise for our heart health but if you truly hate it and won’t do it I’d say don’t.

@CatCup start small. C25k is a great starting point for overall cardio health. Maybe look into a fitness app that caters for beginners to do home workouts to get started with if you fancy giving resistance training a bash.

@lonelyghost it’s really tough when you get out of routine and then don’t get straight back to it. Book classes or something in advance so you have committed to getting back into good habits ASAP once you are back? When I’m on holiday I do take a bit of a break but do try and move my body a bit so it’s not such a shock when I’m back. I find allocating time in my diary helps me prioritise my own fitness (I am completely normal and often have periods of time with low motivation!) Basically make it that when you are back in routine you are straight back into your normal lifestyle- and think of it as that- it’s how you live your life.

@SpringDaisies

Brilliant- well done you! Upper body wise- wall push ups, seated row, dumbbell overhead press, lat pull downs, lateral raises, front raises, bicep curls, tricep pull downs or tricep overhead presses (use YouTube for exercise demos).

Core wise stick to standing for now- weighted side bends, weighted twists (hold weight out in front of you with both hands with good posture, keep feet facing forward and turn with your upper body), dumbbell/ kettlebell halos, standing knee raises (add a resistance band around your ankles to make it more challenging/ stand on a folded mat to make more challenging).

I do a mix of cycling, running and walking. Averaging about two hours per day in total. Roughly 2/5 walk, 2/5 cycle, 1/5 run.
I aim to have 2 rest days per week where I only walk.
My fitness has improved massively over the last 18 months.
I'm in my late 40s

My garmin keeps telling me to have more rest days. And to do more low intensity base runs.
Should I listen to it?

@Whitechocraspberrycheesecake thank you so much 😊

Thank you @Whitechocraspberrycheesecake - really informative and helpful. I will plan out my week and see how I go!

Hi OP, thanks for this interesting thread.

I'm assuming you're in a great shape yourself - what exercise routine and diet do you follow?

You mention having children - how many have you got and how quickly did you regain your pre-pregnancy body?

Do you ever feel stressed out/ under pressure to look your best in front of your clients? So that your shape is something they aspire to if you see what I mean? Or are you just happily confident in yourself..?

All the best xx

@ProudThrilledHappy

Any tips for making saggy tits look better? Any specific exercises? Sorry to be blunt, no point beating around the bush

This!!!

Hi Op! I'm interested in pirates but failed at the first hurdle when I tried it - they were telling me to squeeze all these muscles and I had no idea how (but I'm autistic and I find it hard knowing where my legs and arms are all the time, never mind isolating a stomach muscle I can't feel with my fingers first!). Is there any similar exercise classes that don't require as much proprioception?

Also, what are your thoughts about something like the Cambridge diet / fasting diets? I was wondering whether losing a bit of weight like that first may help my joints when I come to hit the gym again?

@Workinghardeveryday

To grow muscle you need to ensure that you are challenging them sufficiently (progressive overload), giving the muscles time to recover (don’t train them everyday) and you need to ensure that you are fuelling your body adequately with enough calories and protein. I would advise looking up Bret Contreras on IG- he’s the glute guy. He has a book and program- definitely look into that.

@PandoraP I would say a mixture of both. For ‘toning’ I would be looking more at resistance training though to be honest.

@RandomCatGenerator I genuinely don’t. After both of my children I was extremely unfit and carrying a fair few extra stone so I can empathise with how women are feeling. I absolutely love helping my clients improve their strength and fitness and as a result their self esteem improves too. I really respect people who want to improve their health and take active steps to make it happen because it’s really not easy.

@SameToo
Planks, side planks (start modified and progress from there. Never more than 30 seconds in a plank- make it harder rather than add more time). Dead bugs, ab curls, oblique curls, leg raises, reverse crunches, 4 point kneeling extensions, back extensions. Pick a couple of those each session.

@Suzi888 clicking joints are completely normal, are you getting pain? If not I wouldn’t worry too much and would advise a full body resistance program with cardio as well. If you are getting pain or the noise is grinding or crunching then I would be looking at seeking medical advice. Correct exercise performed with good form absolutely helps to strengthen joints.

@HGC2 a calorie deficit put very basically is making sure that you are consuming less than you take it. How much you need to consume in a day is individual and depends on your age, sex, height, weight and activity level. If you go on the James smith academy calorie calculator and put your details in there, that will give you a number to stick to and a protein target. I would ignore what your Apple Watch tells you to be honest.

@Welliwonder if you don’t want to lose weight then I would suggest ensuring that you are in calorie maintenance for your activity level and if you are looking to build muscle then a calorie surplus. Also make sure that you are eating enough protein- as above I’d recommend the James smith calorie counter so that you have an idea of what you need to be consuming.

@LuckyLuckyWoman start small. If you’re not currently fit enough to run a 5k, don’t attempt it. Do 2k instead and build from there. Get yourself some great music to listen to, take time for yourself and get moving again. Start with what you can do and enjoy building your fitness up from there.

@Luredbyapomegranate sadly as I’m sure you know, you can’t spot reduce (chose where you lose fat from). I would say lose as much weight as you need and whilst doing that incorporate full body resistance training in 3x per week and include core work with that. I’ve detailed core exercises in previous posts. Good luck!

@ChristmasPudding12 squats, deadlifts, lunges, Bulgarian split squats and core exercises detailed above

@overtrain it would depend on the eating disorder and where they are with it. If it is someone with binge eating issues then I would be willing to work with them on the fitness side, and support them to see a professional regarding their eating issues. If it is someone currently struggling with an active restriction I wouldn’t work with them- I’m not qualified and I would be worried that I wouldn’t be able to support them properly.
I have a client with a previous eating disorder and I don’t offer her any nutritional advice- it’s not my area of expertise. She is recovered and trains with me purely to increase her fitness and strength and that works perfectly.

Is it enough to just use compound movements?

I have really limited time and I’ve been focusing on just getting my compound in - I do push day, pull day and 2 lower body days (split across the week) but I can only get 45/60 mins tops.

I see lots of people doing isolation in both the gym and on YouTube and I always feel like I need to add them in.

But do you really need to isolate unless you are specifically trying to build or strengthen THAT particular muscle?

Am I ok to focus almost exclusively on compound (with progress overload) for time purposes?

@Whitechocraspberrycheesecake I've gone from bmi of 70 to 44 via gastric bypass but just can't drop further - any experience? Can eat most things about about a tea plate each meal so no ideas on what my actual calorific deficit may be

Hello 👋
I put on quite a bit of weight in pregnancy. I've lost most of it but there's a band of fat under my belly Button, I'm not even sure if it's loose skin? I do pilates a few times a week and my core is strong. Any tips for reducing my lower stomach fat?

@Newmum110 yes swimming is a fantastic place to start. Go for it!

@ShinyHatStand- it depends, how do you feel? If you’re finding that you’re tired, fatigued, get muscle aches, struggle sleeping etc then yes, I would advise considering taking more rest.

If you’re feeling fit and fabulous and are enjoying it then keep doing what you love.

@EatSleepRantRepeat I understand what you mean- there can be a lot to concentrate on and lots of squeezing! You could try some YouTube yoga- sarah Beth yoga is fab, she has videos on YouTube and if you like those she has an app which is really good. Her explanations are really clear and if you need to pause and rewind you can.

Fantastic thread op, thanks for your time. I have recently bought a treadmill (2020 😳) I would like to get in a routine with it. How often and for how long should I use it for?

My goal is to lose 2 stones and tone up.

Thank you 😊

@BoneWithTheWind

Hi OP, thanks for this interesting thread.

I'm assuming you're in a great shape yourself - what exercise routine and diet do you follow?

You mention having children - how many have you got and how quickly did you regain your pre-pregnancy body?

Do you ever feel stressed out/ under pressure to look your best in front of your clients? So that your shape is something they aspire to if you see what I mean? Or are you just happily confident in yourself..?

All the best xx

Really good question.

I am in good ish shape I’d say- I’m currently working on personal goals to really increase my strength so it’s improving. At the moment I want to lose about 12lbs of fat so I’m in a calorie deficit- just aiming to lose 1-1.5lbs a week max. Aiming for 8-10k steps a day. I train 3x a week.

I want to improve my deadlift, squat, bench press weights and I want to be able to do a pull up or 3 with out assistance so my whole program is focused on achieving that goal. I find upper body work really challenging so I spilt it into 3 full body training sessions per week rather than a upper and lower split.

I’m hoping the fat loss phase will be over in 10-12 weeks, I’ll then creep to maintenance calories and then to a surplus to help build some muscle.

I’ve had 2 children- with my first I weighed 4st over pre pregnancy weight 2 weeks postpartum. I lost that within 18 months and then put 3st on with my son. It’s taken nearly 2yrs to get to pre pregnancy weight after him!

I do feel a bit of pressure to keep my lifestyle good if that makes sense- I like to practise what I preach! Looks wise I would say I’m pretty happy with what I look like- I’m far from perfect but I’m in my late 30’s now and life is too short to spend it hating myself.

Really interesting thread, thanks.
Question about what your recommend for exercise post menopause?
I currently run four times a week but conscious about future issues regarding osteoporosis.
What sort of exercise would be good to safeguard against that along with protecting my joints. Thank you!

[quote Whitechocraspberrycheesecake]@Newmum110 yes swimming is a fantastic place to start. Go for it!

@ShinyHatStand- it depends, how do you feel? If you’re finding that you’re tired, fatigued, get muscle aches, struggle sleeping etc then yes, I would advise considering taking more rest.

If you’re feeling fit and fabulous and are enjoying it then keep doing what you love.

@EatSleepRantRepeat I understand what you mean- there can be a lot to concentrate on and lots of squeezing! You could try some YouTube yoga- sarah Beth yoga is fab, she has videos on YouTube and if you like those she has an app which is really good. Her explanations are really clear and if you need to pause and rewind you can.[/quote]
Brilliant, thanks so much for answering!

Thanks so much for your time and response op - much appreciated.

@Whitechocraspberrycheesecake thank you so much!!! When I get over Covid I am definitely doing that xx

@Ohpulltheotherone if depends on what your goals are. If it’s to build strength and muscle then compounds are fab but you can really makes improvements to your results by including isolation exercises in too if that makes sense? You don’t necessarily need to spend more time training- and you don’t need to do lots of compounds in one session. So I never squat and deadlift on the same day, I have a squat day and a deadlift day and then add in isolation extras (on deadlift day I do extensions and curls for instance).

If you don’t already, supersets are great for time saving.

@ipodtherforipoor wow well done- great progress already! I would advise seeking medical advise with this one- I’m sorry it’s not my area of expertise and I would hate to give the wrong advice.

@doadeer unfortunately after pregnancy we can be more prone to storing abdominal fat. Losing more body fat combined bit full body resistance training may help.

@StarryNightSparkles if you’re new to running then the c25k app would be a great place to start.

@AgnesWaterhouse1566 great question. Keep running- that is great but I would strongly recommend that you incorporate resistance training 2-3x per week. Studies have shown that it significantly improves our bone density as we age. Go for a full body approach- incorporating compound movements- squats, lunges, deadlifts etc.