Noobie seeking advice from experts

N

Noobie

0
Hi there, I have recently joined the gym as I thought it might be someting of an interesting experience. I do not know much about weight lifting and such so I asked a personal trainer for some help. I have been set up on a program but I want to clarify some things and get some second opinions.

For now I have been given a program with machine weights. I think I will stick to this for the first 3-4 months then move onto the free weights. I've been recommended to do them 3 times a week. Anyway, the list of machines are as follows:

Leg Press
Leg Extension
Leg Curls
Shoulder Press
Lat Pulldown
Seated Row
Chest Press
Peck Deck

Now as I said I am pretty short of knowledge so what I want to know is this program covering a good range of things and will all my major upper body muscles be getting a good workout eg. Arms, Chest, Shoulders, Back etc. The trainer wasn't every clear in explaining what each machines does so could someone possibly list the major and minor muscles each thing is training? I mean I can get an idea obviously by some of the names but a full list would be nice.

I am bout 6 foot and weight roughly 200 pounds and there is no problems with my diet, good proteins involved and the like, but I just wanted to know if this was the best way to go about things.

Regards.
 
The only thing I like in there is the seated row. He should have at least started you with the dumbbells. Get a new trainer, or tell him to revamp your workout.
 
agree with Evo. Try to get a trainer who knows his stuff about free weights, squats, deadlifts, rows, pullups, bench press, overhead press.. etc.
 
Same as above... I don't know any personal trainers that reccomend machines anymore, other than in cases of physical recovery. If you're six foot and two hundred pounds, you probably already have sufficient muscle mass to start handling free weights. The benfits from free weights are much greater over machines too; by training your muscles to have to not only move the weight but balance it too, your body will become naturally stronger instead of it simply learning the one specific way that the machine is forcing you to do the exercise.

I hope that makes sense...
 
Well the training sessions came free with the membership so I'm not too fussed if the advice isn't 100% right. But he did say that newbies should start out with the machines for a while and I have also heard this around the place.

What is the typical workout that you guys would do for a week? Like what muscles on what days and what type of exercise and how many. Thanks for the advice anyway.
 
I am still a newbie (been working out 3 months or so)

Here is my weekly workout, I do full body workout 3 times a week
Workout 1

Bench Press
Deadlifts (+1 Set of however many bench sets I do)
Bent Over Rows
Military Press
Tricep Pulldowns
Bicep Curls
Snatch Cuban Presses

Workout 2

Chest Flies
Lunges
Military Press
Reverse Flies
Pull ups
Leg Curls
Leg Extentions

Workout 3

Deadlifts (+1 Set of however many bench sets I do)
Bench Press
Bent Over Rows
Military Press
Shrugs
Single Legged Squats
Inverted Sit Ups

I only use the odd machine for leg isolation and can only do single legged squats because the squat rack is broken.
 
If you are a total newbie, it's OK to do SOME machines for a SHORT while. Free weights are by far your best bet. If you can't find someone in the gym to get you started on a free weight routing, buy a decent book and get yourself started on one.
 
But he did say that newbies should start out with the machines for a while and I have also heard this around the place.
Click to expand...

That statement right there shows his complete ignorance on the subject.
Click to expand...

From a liability standpoint (especially from a gym owners standpoint) it is smart to show new people machines on the 1 "free" session.

If you teach a new person a bunch of free weight exercises they have never done -

1. They will remember less than 25% of what the trainer said. Specifically technique advice.

2. The next time they are in the gym they will be jackin' up a bunch of exercises, this reflects negatively on the trainer.

3. Since the person is new to lifting, has an hour of training, and remembers about 25% of what they are supposed to do, they are more likely to get hurt.

#1 rule of running a gym. Don't get your members hurt.

There is a very high chance that the gym instructs the trainers to show machines on the "free one hour session" or whatever it is called at your gym.
 
Please explain goerge how doing a bench press on a "mechanical bench press"(machine), where your ROM is on a set motion. Will allow for "better safety" when one goes to the free weight version for the first time?
 
because the injury will come slowly over time, the gym wont get sued or anything like that. Though if some moron tries good mornings, loads up 150% of their good morning 1rm, to try some "negatives" this will happen:
 
Well Put Karky. :D

Please explain goerge how doing a bench press on a "mechanical bench press"(machine), where your ROM is on a set motion. Will allow for "better safety" when one goes to the free weight version for the first time?
Click to expand...

If someone learns an exercises the involves "Detailed Technique" and that person comes in the next day and gets hurt. There is your lawsuit. It is a very simple case for a lawyer to say that they were given an exercise that could cause injury in an unsupervised situation, showing negligence on the part of the facility and its staff.

A machine does not injure people, if set up properly, most people will never get injured using them. The general gym membership will never push hard enough or show up often enough to cause themselves injury. They are easy to remember for people who are new to working out, and provide a starting point for "unsupervised" training.

Unsupervised is the key word here. You really have to think when dealing with beginners who are not going to be supervised in the future, and are not going to do tons of research on working out themselves.

In over 11 years of working in gyms and fitness facilities I have only seen 1 injury from working on a machine. The rest were people who were injured using free weights, and not using proper form.

About half of the time there is some sort of legal action.
 
goergen1 said:
Well Put Karky. :D



If someone learns an exercises the involves "Detailed Technique" and that person comes in the next day and gets hurt. There is your lawsuit. It is a very simple case for a lawyer to say that they were given an exercise that could cause injury in an unsupervised situation, showing negligence on the part of the facility and its staff.

A machine does not injure people, if set up properly, most people will never get injured using them. The general gym membership will never push hard enough or show up often enough to cause themselves injury. They are easy to remember for people who are new to working out, and provide a starting point for "unsupervised" training.

Unsupervised is the key word here. You really have to think when dealing with beginners who are not going to be supervised in the future, and are not going to do tons of research on working out themselves.

In over 11 years of working in gyms and fitness facilities I have only seen 1 injury from working on a machine. The rest were people who were injured using free weights, and not using proper form.

About half of the time there is some sort of legal action.
Click to expand...

That really doesn't answer the question though. When that person who has been using machines goes over to free weights for the first time. How will he be any less likely to get injured?

Teaching proper form on a machine does not transfer over to free weights in most cases.

There have been SO many threads on the whole Free weights VS machines. Machines have lost in each one. So i really do not want to start up another one here ;).

I see no reason to start a client out on machines. Their rom is restricted, they do not work stabilizers they do not work on ones proprioception and so on.
Machine experience does not transfer over to free weights. So why start someone out on an (in most cases) inferior product?

A client is paying for the best possible advise. Being unwilling to stay with the client and show him/her proper form. Shows an inadequatesie and this person should not call them selfs a PT.
 
He aint saying machines are better. He is saying that machines are safer for people who dont really know what they are doing. Most injuries in gyms that results in lawsuits are probobly not overuse injuries, but rather people who load up too much on a squat or deadlift, end up bending their back, etc.

So for people who join a gym and get one free hour with a gym PT, that PT cant be there the rest of the time making sure he doesnt screw up his squatting form or does something incredibly stupid.
 
That really doesn't answer the question though. When that person who has been using machines goes over to free weights for the first time. How will he be any less likely to get injured?
Click to expand...

This is not a moving from machines to free weights thread. It is a "I'm new and this is what a trainer showed me" thread. And I am giving a very realistic reason why a "noobie" would be shown machine exercises as opposed to free weights, in a free session.

Teaching proper form on a machine does not transfer over to free weights in most cases.
Click to expand...

In this case it does not matter. We are not comparing form on machines to form on free weights. New gym members who do not hire a trainer will most likely not start using free weights. These are basic gym statistics.

There have been SO many threads on the whole Free weights VS machines. Machines have lost in each one. So i really do not want to start up another one here
Click to expand...

Lets be clear. I am not arguing that machines or free weights are better. I am saying that from a liability standpoint, it is in a gym owners best interest to show people machines first. Specifically when it involves a new member who is only getting the 1 "free" session. Nobody can possibly learn proper technique on free weight exercises, utilizing several different exercises, in a 1 hour session.

I see no reason to start a client out on machines. Their rom is restricted, they do not work stabilizers they do not work on ones proprioception and so on.
Machine experience does not transfer over to free weights. So why start someone out on an (in most cases) inferior product?
Click to expand...

It is because people who do the "free sessions" are most likely never going to get any other type of instruction again.

A client is paying for the best possible advise. Being unwilling to stay with the client and show him/her proper form. Shows an inadequatesie and this person should not call them selfs a PT.
Click to expand...

This client was not paying. It was a FREE session. The willingness to stay with a client is directly proportionate to what the client pays.

Please understand that what I have been stating has nothing to do with giving the best advice to a client. It is about covering your own butt. As a trainer, or gym owner that has to be thought about. Most gyms are one good lawsuit from going out of business.
 
goergen1 said:
This is not a moving from machines to free weights thread. It is a "I'm new and this is what a trainer showed me" thread. And I am giving a very realistic reason why a "noobie" would be shown machine exercises as opposed to free weights, in a free session.



In this case it does not matter. We are not comparing form on machines to form on free weights. New gym members who do not hire a trainer will most likely not start using free weights. These are basic gym statistics.



Lets be clear. I am not arguing that machines or free weights are better. I am saying that from a liability standpoint, it is in a gym owners best interest to show people machines first. Specifically when it involves a new member who is only getting the 1 "free" session. Nobody can possibly learn proper technique on free weight exercises, utilizing several different exercises, in a 1 hour session.



It is because people who do the "free sessions" are most likely never going to get any other type of instruction again.



This client was not paying. It was a FREE session. The willingness to stay with a client is directly proportionate to what the client pays.

Please understand that what I have been stating has nothing to do with giving the best advice to a client. It is about covering your own butt. As a trainer, or gym owner that has to be thought about. Most gyms are one good lawsuit from going out of business.
Click to expand...

Ahh ok i understand where your coming from now.
Esentually your giving a justification as to why the PT started him out on machines in this free session. Basically to protect their own asses.
All Clear:D
 
This is actually a good thread showing how much it sucks to be able to have your life destroyed due to frivolous lawsuits. We can't do anything anymore without worrying about someone suing us.

~Nicole
 
calcium said:
This is actually a good thread showing how much it sucks to be able to have your life destroyed due to frivolous lawsuits. We can't do anything anymore without worrying about someone suing us.

~Nicole
Click to expand...

Yeah, that totally sucks. Some of the best jokes in Norway are about americal lawsuits, there are some really funny examples. It doesnt work quite the same way in Norway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top