I'm a Personal Trainer - AMA

[Watchkeys]

I generally group-train parents in the park after they've dropped their kids at school, but also work in a residential care home, and have some 1-1 clients with weight loss and muscle gain goals. I want to know if there's anything I'm not covering in terms of 'questions people are too afraid/nervous to ask'... hit me!

I’d love to join a weight lifting class, I’d never want to go solo in the gym, just want to do it with others every week.

@MsAlder

I'm afraid you need to ask someone medically trained about that. My first thought is 'Get into lifting weights!' as it's quick bursts of energy rather than sustained effort, and it's very rewarding, but I categorically do not know the risks associated with the medication you're on, so you'd need to check with a doctor. Have you been given any advice/have you asked for some from your medical team?

Much respect to you for even thinking of exercise after a kidney transplant - wow. Good luck with your continued recovery!

@CharlotteSometimes1

I honestly don't think it makes that much difference, as long as, when you exercise, you're fed enough to use your full capacity. Some people can do that first thing, without breakfast, some can't.

Re the weight loss, it's a long term thing, so your body isn't going to care in 6 months whether you ate at 5am or 8am on any day. There's a lot of theory about this kind of thing, but it's basically tweaking for perfection at the expense of convenience. 98% of the progress you make will be down to what you eat rather than when, and working out the other 2% so that it's specifically right for you is a huge scientific endeavour, and frankly, not worth it. Make sure you're eating the right things in the right quantities, and eat them when you want to/need them for strength.

@MyFaceIsAnAONB

Love your username!

What are the joint problems? It would be remiss of me to advise you without checking that first. There's loads of exercise types you can do at home, though, right near the bathroom, so your issue will be get-around-able.

Just severe stiffness and aches and pains really. All over. Mainly both feet and right sacroiliac which affects whole leg, and left shoulder.

At home I like to do Pilates, Caroline Girvan and step aerobics but only do a few days in a row before I have to take a few days off and it is sooooo bad for motivation.

I’m only 33 by the way so it’s all v depressing 😄 not that being stiff is ever fun.

I had an open myomectomy (basically a couple section) at the start of the year. I've started doing some more exercise, for the first time in years, but am still really cautious of sit ups and anything on my stomach.

Am I overthinking it? Is there anything I can and should be doing?

@Montypulciano

Re cardio, it depends on what your aims are. You're doing enough moving about to keep your heart and lungs healthy, so you don't need to do more, but if you start doing resistance training, then you'll need to warm up, and cardio is one way of doing that. It also depends how fit you want to be in terms of heart and lungs. You're getting enough to drop your risk of illness levels significantly, but could do more, so it's hard to advise without knowing your goals.

Re resistance training, yes, weight bearing exercise, yes, yes. Lift heavy things! This workout covers all the main muscle groups:

1. Deadlift https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift
2. Squat https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSquat
3. Bench press https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/BBBenchPress
4. Row https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/BBBentOverRow
5. Overhead press https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/BBMilitaryPress

2 - 3 times per week, to start off, 15 repetitions of each, performed twice, with 90 seconds rest in between the 2 sets.

The important thing is that when you get to 15 reps, you're getting tired. You only want to have 2 -3 reps left in the tank before you wouldn't physically have the strength to lift it again.

And don't be intimidated by the equipment. You can get some adjustable dumbbells at Argos that'll do the trick.

If my fitbit says I've burned 500 calories during my workout, have I really? Does it take calories back out of the amount I've eaten?

What's the doctor said about the aches, @MyFaceIsAnAONB ? Sounds rough.

That is really helpful thank you. I think I will up the cardio a little and investigate the weights. Thanks so mucv for replying 💐

@MorrisZapp

I don't know, and neither does your fitbit. And if you did burn 500, did it come from your pre-workout banana, from your body fat, or from calories that would have otherwise gone into keeping your skin clear and your tail bushy? Chances are it's a mix of everything, so '3500 kcal = 1lb of fat loss' is a bit nuts. That's how many kcals are in average fat cells, which we don't have (any more than we are each 'average height'), and that's when it's burned in a bomb calorimeter, usually in a lab under scientific conditions. Our bodies aren't bomb calorimeters!

Your best bet with calorie counting is to work out how the numbers correspond to you. So if you calculate a 400kcal deficit, and you lose weight too fast, try a 300kcal deficit instead. If you don't lose it fast enough, try a bigger deficit.

It's all rough estimates based on averages, and it gives us a general idea, but really, I might burn 300kcal from doing something, and take it mostly from my banana, and you might burn 600kcal doing precisely the same thing, and take it mainly from your body fat.

Your body is your scientific experiment, and it represents to you what you've been doing consistently for a long while. If you want it thinner, give it less fuel, and burn more fuel by moving about. If you want it fatter, eat more fuel and burn less. That all stands true, but there are so many variables re encouraging your body to burn more fat/maintain healthy homeostasis that the numbers aren't really to be relied on.

You seem very knowledgeable. My question is a bit of a silly one. When gyms allocate a trainer to a client, do they always do male trainer to female client and vice versa? It's something I've observed and just wonder if it's something they think will keep members paying! Not that I've been to the gym in years. (I do other exercise though.)

Cardiowise, I'd get a heart rate monitor, and work out which zone you want to be in.
https://www.polar.com/blog/running-heart-rate-zones-basics/

Maybe cycle?

And you're very welcome

@ScottishBeth

I don't know, so perhaps I'm not that knowledgable

It's probably customary to actually ask the client, I would imagine, in case they have a preference, and the trainers probably have preferences too.

This is so interesting. But surely even if the calories burned are from the banana it doesn't matter? If you didn't do the exercise the banana would ultimately be converted to fat wouldn't it? So doesn't it amount to the same thing.

I know this might not be why you've started the thread, but my opinion of trainers has increased significantly in the past 10 minutes, from reading your thread!

Best exercises to tone and lift bum? Thanks for doing this.

What exercise would you recommend for weight loss?

I started swimming an hour a day a few weeks ago and I’m looking to add something extra. thanks

@Watchkeys

Thank you for responding. Most of the medical advice seems to focus on absolutely no swimming (because of potential disease risk). I've tried jogging which I used to do in the past but it seems to take so much longer to warm up that it reduces my enjoyment of it (which I don't think is necessarily fitness levels but more to do with blood pressure meds as the stairs can be a bit challenging on the wrong day).
My Dr. has told me I can skip the blood pressure meds once it gets warm because they are precautionary and I really want to get in a useful summer season.
Weight lifting might be a good idea as I read that it can help limit the risk of steroid-induced osteoporosis. I'm going to check my local gym to see if I can find one with a personal trainer to help me get started with some weights.

I really appreciate your advice :)

@Fatandnearly50

Not wishing to crash the OPs thread but I was the exact same profile as you (except knee issues specifically caused by deciding it was a great idea to try running (it wasn’t) as well as being overweight).

Anyway I have had a few PTs over a couple of years, and no one has even remotely judged me or made me feel uncomfortable.

My knees are much better than they were - I realise my issues are less complex than yours, but you might well get some improvement with the right exercise.

What I have found essential with our age/profile is really well qualified PTs. The guy I go to is attached to a physio practice, so I first went to the physio, got some basic rehab, and then they referred me to the PT and agreed a more advanced rehab programme with him, which helped me get to what is now a more mainstream S&C programme with emphasis on knees still.

I used a couple of cheaper less qualified PTs before this and actually caused myself some severe knee problems. They probably would have been fine for someone younger and fitter but they had no idea how to deal with knee issues.

If you are in central london and want a recommendation PM me.

I hope this isn't too personal (sorry!) but do you find being a PT a good career? Thanks for this thread.

@Watchkeys
Thanks.

I am definitely eating above my requirements, I think I was trying to say that I don’t expect to exercise myself to weight loss, I know it’s mainly about food rather than exercise.

Unfortunately the knee issue won’t change as I lose weight (were the same at 6 stone lighter), I am stuck with those restrictions unless I have new knees which I don’t want to do at my age. I get along in everyday life with some adaptations so the advice is to wait. I have already had surgery on both knees that was unsuccessful.

i can swim but haven’t much recently. I have been a couple of times in the last six months and didn’t enjoy it which was a shame as I used to be a happy swimmer. I actually went yesterday morning to a mixed aqua/ aerobics then free swim session. I think I need to keep trying to build that up again.

i can walk for a couple of miles easily but also have residual issues from plantar fasciitis to add to the mix so sometimes that can be painful. Most of the time I can stretch it out though and carry on.

Add the combo of the knees, the feet and the weight and you can see why I think people judge me!

@Luredbyapomegranate great name btw!

Thanks for that. Glad to hear your knees are a lot better now. I did used to go to Pilates in a small class with a physio, may well look into that again.

Not in central London, but also in a way I’m reluctant to pay out a good chunk for a PT when I already pay for the gym which has classes included. I’m just not fit enough for most of them!

Thanks for this thread @Watchkeys

I'm 54 and have only got into weight training recently. I've done sporadic exercise over the years although I've never been really fit and have kept fairly slim by eating sensibly and walking.

My question is - I'm still slim(ish) but spongey and flabby. I'm going to the gym to weight train and getting stronger but not noticeably toned - will this ever happen? Or am I too old now? Should I put more emphasis on diet? Should I do more cardio (hate cardio but like walking)?

Thanks

Hi @Luredbyapomegranate

You are absolutely right; there is a qualification PT's can do called 'Exercise referral', and many PT's, including myself, don't have it. It may still look the same (i.e. doctor says 'I'll refer you to a PT') but might not be evident that the PT in question is more qualified than the ones at your local gym.

I don't think it's necessarily due to experience, but more likely to do with differing levels of training that aren't made clear to clients/patients. You might also see the more qualified PTs training general clients at the gym, too, so be careful not to rule people out as 'non-specialist' due to seeing them working in more generic circumstances.