Is my personal trainer right?

A

amelie

0
I used to do 3/4 per week:

30 mins fast walk (3.9)/moderate incline (7.5-14.0) treadmill
20 min recumbent bike
10 min cross trainer


2 sets of 12 reps various weight machines.


After 2 months- and me stating that i just can't shift this last 14 pounds (despite really great diet) she changed it too:

4-5 sessions per week

10 (10!!!) mins treadmill, speed 4 and incline of 9.5
Stepper (aka hell on earth) 10 mins
Cross trainer 10 mins now on 1 min forward, 1 min backwards (this is so wierd, and on random instead of manual).
5-10 mins rower

And this is the confusing bit........... only 1 set of every weight machine at 20 reps! Surley this is going to build muscle. She said that it was to build a little muscle- to burn more fat. I just want to be toned, with a little definition.

Is this right? I just have had so much conflicting adivice about this. Please help. :rolleyes:
 
The more muscle you have the more calories you will burn in any activity, even sitting at a desk. The best way to lose weight is to put on muscle. Also 20 reps is best for toning like you want. Low reps, 1-6 for power/strength, 10 reps for size, 20 reps for endurance and toning.
 
I'd fire your trainer but that's just me.

Check out this program


20 reps and + = great for endurance athletes...not for you.
Does your gym have a pool? Bump up the intensity on your cardio.
 
Ya, I'd get rid of your trainer if they kept you at the same thing for 2 months... and I hope you're not saying that you're meeting them 4/5 times a week... What gym do you work at and what is her background?

You need to change almost EVERYTHING and you'll start seeing things again, more likely you hit a plateau.. and your trainer is doing the wrong things to go about it..
 
You probably have have it a flat line where you are no longer getting gains. Up the intensity a bit. I believe its called progressive overload. By adding the intensity you are combating the law of diminishing returns.
 
20 reps doesn't tone. that's 100% bull**** 20 reps trains you to do lots of reps with little weight. 20 reps doesn't 'shape' or 'sculpt' the muscle at all...your genetics have already predetermined the exact shape of your muscles...all you can do is add muscle mass or decrease it.

I'd fire the trainer too. You should be doing weights FIRST, and doing low to moderate reps for better muscle building.

The ONLY WAY to tone is to build muscle and reduce bodyfat so the muscle shows more prominently through the skin.
 
Why do people over complicate these things...
Weight train 3 days per week (I recommend full body workouts w/ free weights)
Cardio for 3 days per week (IMO walking of any kind does NOT count unless your injured or very overweight)
1 day rest
Eat 5-6 meals of equal size spaced evenly throughout the day (Avoid refined sugars, fried foods, white bread)
 
malkore said:
20 reps doesn't tone. that's 100% bull**** 20 reps trains you to do lots of reps with little weight. 20 reps doesn't 'shape' or 'sculpt' the muscle at all...your genetics have already predetermined the exact shape of your muscles...all you can do is add muscle mass or decrease it.

I'd fire the trainer too. You should be doing weights FIRST, and doing low to moderate reps for better muscle building.

The ONLY WAY to tone is to build muscle and reduce bodyfat so the muscle shows more prominently through the skin.
Click to expand...

Word...use a rep range of 6-12 and don't have any illusions about getting bulky unless you have a calorie surplus and bust your ass for a few years. It is NOT THAT EASY to gain bulk!!! Trust me ladies.
 
Bryn said:
ye your right malkore

*shrows stupid fitness book out the window*
Click to expand...

He is right.

The 20 rep sets is a very old fitness theory that carries little or no weight with all of the studies that have been done in the past 15 years. Although its a standard type of workout that most people get when they join a gym, Its not the most productive. Think about this, if you pack on 5 lbs of muscle, you burn more calories throughout the day, making your caloric expenditure higher than without the muscle. Like Karl said, its almost impossible to bulk up without the nutrition to back you up.
 
I've read that if your purely looking for looks and still have fat then 20 reps will still increase strength but won't increase girth of muscles as much, so it doesn't look like you've put on weight.
 
Don't get me wrong, 20 reps isn't totally useless. That's the kind of training a distance swimmer/runner would do. 20 reps doesn't build mass, rather it trains the muscle for endurance, and since it builds little mass it keeps their bodyweight down, which is important for endurance athletes.
 
15 to 20reps is ok to begin with and condition the body for serious training but not for 2 months. Personally i use the 15 to 18 rep range maybe 2 or 3 times a month for active recovery and to prevent overtraining.
 
Great replies. Your trainer is a bit whacky :confused:

High rep ranges are not optimal for most people. You should be focusing on the 6-12 rep range. You also need to vary your cardio (how long and the intensity level). Rest 1-2 days per week. Eat clean.

Switch your entire program every 4-6 weeks. Periodization (aka- switching your program) is key to continued success.
 
Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply, i am going now going to up the cardio by adding 5 mins on each of the none treadmill pieces and try and do this 6 times per week.

With regards to the weights, a majority of you seem to think that reps of around 6-12 is more beneficial- but what about sets? How many? If i am too go to the gym every day barr Sunday, is it okay to do theese everyday, or shall i keep it to 3 sessions?


Thanks again for the advice all :)
 
6-12 reps is generally recommended for a fitness program 3-4 reps for power and 15-20 reps for endurence. The 6-12 rep range is best for most people though. The other two should only be used in a periodization program.

You can work out different ways. I don't recommend strength training 6 days per week... unless you have a very good split routine. Check out some of my site. It has tons of info on different set/rep amounts and methods.
 
newf said:
15 to 20reps is ok to begin with and condition the body for serious training but not for 2 months.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I would have said too, its a good way of starting out as it's not too intensive and not as much of a shock to the body when you eventually move on to heavier weights.

I personally use the 3 sets of 8 reps method with 3 excersizes per body part whilst training 2 body parts per session.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top