AMA - Personal Trainer

[AustinS28]

I've been a lot more active on the boards recently and truly didn't realize what a wealth of information and people we have over here. I am also in a transitional phase where I am doing a lot of remodeling of my current business. I am 24 and will be 25 on the 28th of this month. I have 1 year of experience as a self-employed personal trainer with a growing business and over 10 years of gym experience, 4 years actually making money from it.

I don't see too many self-employed trainers on the site and thought I could help people grow their business. I'd also be open to answer general fitness questions, but routine creation is definitely something that can be discussed on a different platform since it's very detailed and in-depth.

This is me. I power lift and I am not as lean currently as I am in the below transformations, but I am quite a bit stronger.

My current website - http://www.trainwitha.com
Website under construction - http://manhattantrainer.com

 

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[Guest3722A]

Hey how's it going Austin, thanks for the offer. I was bed ridden for about a year after an accident a while back, and I still need additional surgery on a knee and a hand. 6'0 currently 260. Got up to 280. My ideal weight is 220 as my shoulders are about as wide as a fridge and I hold a lot of muscle. What I really need to do is find a way to bump my metabolism back into burning instead of storing, and I need to do this around my injuries.

If you have any advice for a diet regimen to help get the metabolism going, that would be great. Lifting at this point is limited.

Side note - last year I was back in the gym 6 days a week switching every other day between aerobic and anaerobic. This went for 15 weeks strait but then I was re-injured by of all things, a doctor. Intensity I can handle, but it has to work around my situation.

 

[SenGracic]

really nice & awesome BP. I have a few questions for you :

• What was and currently is your biggest challenge when it comes to the personal training business ? And how you overcome them ?
• If you had only one reference to give per subject ( 1. Training , 2. Nutrition, 3. Supplements ) what would it be ( websites,books..)?
• Is your ultimate goal to become an online trainer only ... like Marc Fitt, Tavi Castro and some other fitness models ( I know fitness is not your style but I just had those guys in my head ) or you want to do the one-on-one thing with your clients ?

I'm training a lot myself but since I eat like sh*t and don't push hard enough my results are almost not there...
My city is pretty small with a few ''good'' gyms and packed with personal trainers etc.. but they only think locally and still struggle to break even.

Thank you !

 

[AustinS28]

Hey how's it going Austin, thanks for the offer. I was bed ridden for about a year after an accident a while back, and I still need additional surgery on a knee and a hand. 6'0 currently 260. Got up to 280. My ideal weight is 220 as my shoulders are about as wide as a fridge and I hold a lot of muscle. What I really need to do is find a way to bump my metabolism back into burning instead of storing, and I need to do this around my injuries.

If you have any advice for a diet regimen to help get the metabolism going, that would be great. Lifting at this point is limited.

Side note - last year I was back in the gym 6 days a week switching every other day between aerobic and anaerobic. This went for 15 weeks strait but then I was re-injured by of all things, a doctor. Intensity I can handle, but it has to work around my situation.

You may not like this answer as it is very general, but will work. Consistency is key for results.

If I were you, I'd weigh myself two times per week, once on Sunday's and once on Wednesday's. Record current activity level throughout the week.

For two weeks I'd log all food eaten on fitday.com and see what caloric intake is sustaining your current weight. From those starting numbers I'd reduce calories the following weeks by 500 recording weight and activity levels again and would keep making gradual reductions throughout this process mentoring and tracking.

Intermittent fasting is a great technique to easily restrict calories. For example, doing IF you would only eat 8 hours throughout the the 24 hour day. I usually fast in the morning while dieting as I crave food at night.

Do you exercise at all with the current knee issue?

 

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[AustinS28]

really nice & awesome BP. I have a few questions for you :

• What was and currently is your biggest challenge when it comes to the personal training business ? And how you overcome them ?
• If you had only one reference to give per subject ( 1. Training , 2. Nutrition, 3. Supplements ) what would it be ( websites,books..)?
• Is your ultimate goal to become an online trainer only ... like Marc Fitt, Tavi Castro and some other fitness models ( I know fitness is not your style but I just had those guys in my head ) or you want to do the one-on-one thing with your clients ?

I'm training a lot myself but since I eat like sh*t and don't push hard enough my results are almost not there...
My city is pretty small with a few ''good'' gyms and packed with personal trainers etc.. but they only think locally and still struggle to break even.

Thank you !

Hey man thanks and I'd be happy to answer.

-My biggest challenge is finding the right clients. The right clients are people who train consistently with you for years on end. They need to fit a certain criteria, (enough disposable income to spend $600+ per month), busy lifestyle that usually entails a high paying job (these people don't want to waste time thinking about working out, they realize the benefits and would rather pay a professional), and someone that clicks with your personality (most important). All of my longterm clients become a lot more than clients, but friends. The results and my professionalism attracts them, but what keeps them long term is our discussions and relationship beyond the gym. With any business building a book takes time. My long term clients have lead me to other long term clients and opportunities and they stay loyal. Currently I am trying to build something with a reputation that can garner these clients without referrals (my new website once completed). So far I pick someone like this up every 3 or so months, but have a lot of other people who stay for only a package or two. I won't complain about that, but I like regularity in my pay.

-The PT industry is filled with a lot of different skill levels since it has a low barrier of entry. Books and websites cannot teach someone how to diet or train. If you want to teach someone how to squat you better know how to squat yourself. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to practice what you preach. I can get some more info on diet advice later. However, my skill set has been learned through my obsession with diet and exercise and becoming advanced with technique through my own training, mishaps and successes. I never make a client do anything I've never done. It's also useful to work at a box gym for some time. You'll pick a lot up from more experienced trainers and get the low down on the business.

-My ultimate goal is to run a business that provides in-home trainers to my clients. I do not want to train anymore. Manhattan is a great place to train people. With a population of 8 million and people willing to spend over $100 an hour for coaching, you don't need a huge percentage of people to make great money. I want a gym that only specializes in PT. I also want to make passive income at some point either through ebooks on total body transformations or a blog I am about to begin regarding longevity and eventually sell a supplement line to promote this. I'm also thinking of a subscription based service for online stuff, but am too early into this to go in-depth. In short, I am still figuring out how to passively make money in the industry as I'd love to live a life where I have the time to do anything I want to do.

 

[Guest3722A]

You may not like this answer as it is very general, but will work. Consistency is key for results.

If I were you, I'd weigh myself two times per week, once on Sunday's and once on Wednesday's. Record current activity level throughout the week.

For two weeks I'd log all food eaten on fitday.com and see what caloric intake is sustaining your current weight. From those starting numbers I'd reduce calories the following weeks by 500 recording weight and activity levels again and would keep making gradual reductions throughout this process mentoring and tracking.

Intermittent fasting is a great technique to easily restrict calories. For example, doing IF you would only eat 8 hours throughout the the 24 hour day. I usually fast in the morning while dieting as I crave food at night.

Do you exercise at all with the current knee issue?

The extent of my exercise is walking right now. I can do about a mile or two. Tried riding a bike but when I get up around 5-6 miles the pain kicks in.

 

[AustinS28]

The extent of my exercise is walking right now. I can do about a mile or two. Tried riding a bike but when I get up around 5-6 miles the pain kicks in.

What does the Doctor say about resistance training and what are your exact injuries? I am not a doctor or physical therapists, but know a lot and have helped people with rehabilitation so I may be able to give some more specific advice or can lead you on the right path.

That said I always recommend some form of resistance training if possible. It's a common misconception that bed rest is appropriate for certain injuries. A great example is low back pain (I know it is different than what you're suffering from), but people with low back pain tend to rest too much and in return it makes things worse as muscles get weaker and pain becomes chronic. In reality they should be heavily focusing on core, glute and abdominal training to strengthen the areas associated with this pain thus alleviating pain caused from weak and inactive musculature.

 

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[SenGracic]

Thank you for your answer, it's nice to see someone who thinks beyond only owning a conventional gym ! I really appreciate.
I might have more questions for you later on but I know what to do now to at least get started !

Hey man thanks and I'd be happy to answer.

-My biggest challenge is finding the right clients. The right clients are people who train consistently with you for years on end. They need to fit a certain criteria, (enough disposable income to spend $600+ per month), busy lifestyle that usually entails a high paying job (these people don't want to waste time thinking about working out, they realize the benefits and would rather pay a professional), and someone that clicks with your personality (most important). All of my longterm clients become a lot more than clients, but friends. The results and my professionalism attracts them, but what keeps them long term is our discussions and relationship beyond the gym. With any business building a book takes time. My long term clients have lead me to other long term clients and opportunities and they stay loyal. Currently I am trying to build something with a reputation that can garner these clients without referrals (my new website once completed). So far I pick someone like this up every 3 or so months, but have a lot of other people who stay for only a package or two. I won't complain about that, but I like regularity in my pay.

-The PT industry is filled with a lot of different skill levels since it has a low barrier of entry. Books and websites cannot teach someone how to diet or train. If you want to teach someone how to squat you better know how to squat yourself. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to practice what you preach. I can get some more info on diet advice later. However, my skill set has been learned through my obsession with diet and exercise and becoming advanced with technique through my own training, mishaps and successes. I never make a client do anything I've never done. It's also useful to work at a box gym for some time. You'll pick a lot up from more experienced trainers and get the low down on the business.

-My ultimate goal is to run a business that provides in-home trainers to my clients. I do not want to train anymore. Manhattan is a great place to train people. With a population of 8 million and people willing to spend over $100 an hour for coaching, you don't need a huge percentage of people to make great money. I want a gym that only specializes in PT. I also want to make passive income at some point either through ebooks on total body transformations or a blog I am about to begin regarding longevity and eventually sell a supplement line to promote this. I'm also thinking of a subscription based service for online stuff, but am too early into this to go in-depth. In short, I am still figuring out how to passively make money in the industry as I'd love to live a life where I have the time to do anything I want to do.

 

[Guest3722A]

What does the Doctor say about resistance training and what are your exact injuries? I am not a doctor or physical therapists, but know a lot and have helped people with rehabilitation so I may be able to give some more specific advice or can lead you on the right path.

That said I always recommend some form of resistance training if possible. It's a common misconception that bed rest is appropriate for certain injuries. A great example is low back pain (I know it is different than what you're suffering from), but people with low back pain tend to rest too much and in return it makes things worse as muscles get weaker and pain becomes chronic. In reality they should be heavily focusing on core, glute and abdominal training to strengthen the areas associated with this pain thus alleviating pain caused from weak and inactive musculature.

Acl is loose and has tear and meniscus re-torn. Dr. would like me to strengthen the muscles to support the instability but it hits that sharp pain point pretty quick.

 

[AndreHimself]

Do you have a degree/certs or are you all self-taught. If not, do you plan on getting it in the future? Do you train men and women the same? What's your max squat/bench/deadlift? Have you done a powerlifting meet? If yes, what's your total?

Thank you for doing this!

 

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[healthstatus]

You said "anything"..... What is the best lead generation website/app/platform on the Internet for personal trainers? Do you pay for leads? If so how much? What is your average stick rate with a client? How many prospects only come to one appointment never to return?

 

[AustinS28]

Acl is loose and has tear and meniscus re-torn. Dr. would like me to strengthen the muscles to support the instability but it hits that sharp pain point pretty quick.

What exercises are you doing? It's pretty common to have knee pain if the joint is suffering from instability due to imbalanced musculature (weak inflexible hamstrings and dominant quads in a lot of gym goers). Anyways leg presses, Id start with the sled alone and never go below 15 reps at this point. Glute bridges, wall squats with the stability ball, hamstring curls. It's usually recommended to avoid exercises that cause pain so I wouldn't do anything that causes that sharp pain. You can also feel pretty safe if your exercise routine isn't making the injury worse. You're having a problem if the pain gets worse between workouts, but if it's the same or better, everything you're doing is probably not impacting the recovery of the injured areas.

 

[AustinS28]

Do you have a degree/certs or are you all self-taught. If not, do you plan on getting it in the future? Do you train men and women the same? What's your max squat/bench/deadlift? Have you done a powerlifting meet? If yes, what's your total?

Thank you for doing this!

I have a NASM certification and worked at equinox for a year taking their training classes which were pretty thorough, although it didn't teach me much about programming since my training level was more advanced than the instructor, and was a lot of redundant stuff. They hire people without Certs or experience if they're good at sales. One reason I left that company, I didn't want to be grouped with a lot of jabronies who weren't passionate, but trying to make a quick buck making us all look foolish with poor training practices. That said it was good for the anatomy lessons. I also went to several years of college mainly studying biology, but did not complete.

I train men and women the same if they were to have the same goal, say powerlifting. But generally each client of mine is on a different program. I don't do cookie cutter routines and make each program unique to individual goals and needs.

Max bench is 455, squat 545, deadlift 635. Big lifts in the gym but mediocre in the powerlifting community. Unfortunately I haven't had the same interests in powerlifting recently as I used to and have really been maintaining my lifts while focusing on business, Muay thai and some other athletic endeavors. I do plan to venture back into it and get a 500 bench before I retire from powerlifting.

I did a meet last year and lifted 535/400/615 for a 1550 total. The vids should be on the account I posted the 455 bench from. I weighed 227 so had to bump into 242 weight class but won it.

 

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[AustinS28]

You said "anything"..... What is the best lead generation website/app/platform on the Internet for personal trainers? Do you pay for leads? If so how much? What is your average stick rate with a client? How many prospects only come to one appointment never to return?

Never paid for a lead before.

Best tool is findyourtrainer.com but hasn't helped me much. They take a commission so 20% of what the client pays and they want the client to pay through the site.

I can get you actual percentages later if I go over my books. My conversion and stick rate is high but I don't want to make numbers up.

 

[Guest3722A]

What exercises are you doing? It's pretty common to have knee pain if the joint is suffering from instability due to imbalanced musculature (weak inflexible hamstrings and dominant quads in a lot of gym goers). Anyways leg presses, Id start with the sled alone and never go below 15 reps at this point. Glute bridges, wall squats with the stability ball, hamstring curls. It's usually recommended to avoid exercises that cause pain so I wouldn't do anything that causes that sharp pain. You can also feel pretty safe if your exercise routine isn't making the injury worse. You're having a problem if the pain gets worse between workouts, but if it's the same or better, everything you're doing is probably not impacting the recovery of the injured areas.

As far as exercise, walking is it right now. My situation is unique to normal sport related acl meniscus surgery. My injury was caused from a 4" steel mesh hose that broke apart and was under extreme pressure to fill over 40,000 lbs of liquid CO2 into a tanker. Pressure kept coming after the malfunction and the hose beat the absolute hell outta me.

After my first surgery and physical therapy, my dr. ordered workout was 6 days a week. Aerobic anaerobic pattern.

For Legs:

Leg press - Warm up with 4 45s 12-15 reps, add 2 more/10-12 reps, add 2/ 8-10 reps, add 2/6-8 reps. Rest for only 1 minute between sets (I'd time it) 10 45s. before injury I was doing 14. Couldn't get back to that again after 15 weeks of consistent lifting

Leg curl - (Had to push through pain here) Can't remember the weight selection but Id put the pin in a higher weight and repped until pain, Dropped one plate and repped higher if possible, dropped one plate again and repped higher if possible continuing for 5 sets

Calf raises - 1 warm up w/1 45 then 4-5 sets with 2. No change in weight

Prior to injury I did lunges


Aerobic day would be stationary bike. HIIT. 1 minute warmup. 1 minute everything I had in me. 1 minute just keeping the pedals turning while catching my breath. 1 minute everything I had. Repeat for 20-25 minutes.

Not sure if the tear was in the donor acl yet at this point, but it was loose - then I went to see another doctor to see exactly why my knee was loose and that doctor really messed me up with his examination. That's where I'm at now.
------------------------------------------------

After the re-injury, I can't even climb a step now without bringing some kind of momentum/compensation around the quads. So now for exercise, I walk. Tried getting back in the gym again but had a lot of pain.

My situation is more complicated than this, but just wanted to give an idea of where I was and where I am. To give an example of a complication, I had another doctor order an mri and more physical therapy and the physical therapist could feel the movements of my joints/popping while doing wall squats w/stability ball. Physical therapy was discontinued. Doctor ordered surgery. I'm not ready for another surgery just yet.

so, what I'm hoping to do is get my fat a$$ back in shape!! (get back to 220 range if possible) But I don't have the knowledge to do it around what I'm dealing with and Google is useless because there's too many "me too's" out there to weed through.

 

[Kingmaker]

When I bench I feel like my front delts get more work than pecs, what am I doing wrong form-wise? I have long arms @ 6ft tall, if that helps.

 

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[Alan LT]

Which do you think is more effective?
Short intense workouts or longer workouts with medium effort?

Also, any tips that you could give to a skinny guy trying to build more muscle.

 

[AustinS28]

As far as exercise, walking is it right now. My situation is unique to normal sport related acl meniscus surgery. My injury was caused from a 4" steel mesh hose that broke apart and was under extreme pressure to fill over 40,000 lbs of liquid CO2 into a tanker. Pressure kept coming after the malfunction and the hose beat the absolute hell outta me.

After my first surgery and physical therapy, my dr. ordered workout was 6 days a week. Aerobic anaerobic pattern.

For Legs:

Leg press - Warm up with 4 45s 12-15 reps, add 2 more/10-12 reps, add 2/ 8-10 reps, add 2/6-8 reps. Rest for only 1 minute between sets (I'd time it) 10 45s. before injury I was doing 14. Couldn't get back to that again after 15 weeks of consistent lifting

Leg curl - (Had to push through pain here) Can't remember the weight selection but Id put the pin in a higher weight and repped until pain, Dropped one plate and repped higher if possible, dropped one plate again and repped higher if possible continuing for 5 sets

Calf raises - 1 warm up w/1 45 then 4-5 sets with 2. No change in weight

Prior to injury I did lunges


Aerobic day would be stationary bike. HIIT. 1 minute warmup. 1 minute everything I had in me. 1 minute just keeping the pedals turning while catching my breath. 1 minute everything I had. Repeat for 20-25 minutes.

Not sure if the tear was in the donor acl yet at this point, but it was loose - then I went to see another doctor to see exactly why my knee was loose and that doctor really messed me up with his examination. That's where I'm at now.
------------------------------------------------

After the re-injury, I can't even climb a step now without bringing some kind of momentum/compensation around the quads. So now for exercise, I walk. Tried getting back in the gym again but had a lot of pain.

My situation is more complicated than this, but just wanted to give an idea of where I was and where I am. To give an example of a complication, I had another doctor order an mri and more physical therapy and the physical therapist could feel the movements of my joints/popping while doing wall squats w/stability ball. Physical therapy was discontinued. Doctor ordered surgery. I'm not ready for another surgery just yet.

so, what I'm hoping to do is get my fat a$$ back in shape!! (get back to 220 range if possible) But I don't have the knowledge to do it around what I'm dealing with and Google is useless because there's too many "me too's" out there to weed through.

Damn sorry to hear all of this, it really sounds like you have been faced with some unfortunate circumstances.

At this point, losing some weight is your priority and I can't reiterate enough that it is going to have to come through diet. What I advised earlier with fitday, will work. You can't out train a bad diet, and you don't need to train at all to lose weight.

That said, I'd still maintain upper body lifts at this point even if it is with machines. Higher lean body mass also equals a faster metabolism so there is no downside to growing or maintaining your upper body.

 

[AustinS28]

When I bench I feel like my front delts get more work than pecs, what am I doing wrong form-wise? I have long arms @ 6ft tall, if that helps.

Do you have any video benching?

Bench press isn't the best exercise depending on mechanics for certain people with regard to pec growth.

Dumbbell bench allows for a more natural range of motion since your hands aren't in a fixed position. If you can't activate your pecs I'd switch to db. If your goal is to have a big bench press and isn't overall pec development that is a different story.

You should always have a tuck in your elbows just for general shoulder health, but flaring elbows out too wide can hit that front felt pretty hard on barbell flat. On the contrary close grip with super tucked elbows takes the pec out of the equation a lot too. Medium wide grip with tucked elbows, bar touching chest is where I feel my pecs the most. If you aren't touching the bar to your chest like many guys, even if you stop and inch or two off you're doing yourself a big disservice in the activation you could be getting out of your pecs.

You actually may even get more out of bench press if you are doing it for bodybuilding purposes by hitting flies beforehand or a pec isolation move. You'll be able to focus and feel the target muscle a lot more when it comes to a compound movement.

 

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[AustinS28]

Which do you think is more effective?
Short intense workouts or longer workouts with medium effort?

Also, any tips that you could give to a skinny guy trying to build more muscle.

If you want to be great at anything, medium effort usually leads to medium or mediocre results. I've had my best results with high intensity workouts, low volume, training each muscle group 2-3x a week on a minimum. So keeping workouts to the basics, 2-3 exercises that work per body part, example would be picking squats instead of leg extensions, so doing those money maker exercises for a few heavy sets a few times a week. I usually rotate lifts, so for legs day 1, the primary exercise may be squats, day 2, front squats, day 3 paused squats for high reps....It is always different but it always is at a high intensity.

Food is your friend, bump your calories, you can't grow without a surplus of calories. Don't eat like a pig, but going 500 over maintenance levels everyday, you will put on size, its how the body works. Don't rush it. If you think you eat a lot now, you probably don't. I always notice that small guys say "oh, but I eat so much," well, maybe for you, but you're not eating enough to grow because you're not growing, and there is no way you could eat as much as me 230lbs and not be getting bigger unless you had some genetic disorder.

 

[Guest3722A]

Damn sorry to hear all of this, it really sounds like you have been faced with some unfortunate circumstances.

At this point, losing some weight is your priority and I can't reiterate enough that it is going to have to come through diet. What I advised earlier with fitday, will work. You can't out train a bad diet, and you don't need to train at all to lose weight.

That said, I'd still maintain upper body lifts at this point even if it is with machines. Higher lean body mass also equals a faster metabolism so there is no downside to growing or maintaining your upper body.

Thank you very much for your time and advice. I appreciate it. Rep transferred and I'll be starting up exactly what you described this week. I'll report back when I have some results. Thanks again

 

[AustinS28]

Thank you very much for your time and advice. I appreciate it. Rep transferred and I'll be starting up exactly what you described this week. I'll report back when I have some results. Thanks again

My pleasure, and thank you. Please let me know how this goes.

 

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[IrishSpring600]

Man I sure hope that butt isn't lifting off the bench...would be hugely disappoint. Judging by the other aspects of the form, good bench.

 

[IrishSpring600]

If you want to be great at anything, medium effort usually leads to medium or mediocre results. I've had my best results with high intensity workouts, low volume, training each muscle group 2-3x a week on a minimum. So keeping workouts to the basics, 2-3 exercises that work per body part, example would be picking squats instead of leg extensions, so doing those money maker exercises for a few heavy sets a few times a week. I usually rotate lifts, so for legs day 1, the primary exercise may be squats, day 2, front squats, day 3 paused squats for high reps....It is always different but it always is at a high intensity.

Food is your friend, bump your calories, you can't grow without a surplus of calories. Don't eat like a pig, but going 500 over maintenance levels everyday, you will put on size, its how the body works. Don't rush it. If you think you eat a lot now, you probably don't. I always notice that small guys say "oh, but I eat so much," well, maybe for you, but you're not eating enough to grow because you're not growing, and there is no way you could eat as much as me 230lbs and not be getting bigger unless you had some genetic disorder.

I second this. Absolutely can't believe people who say they eat and eat and are yet 130lbs. Eating to me is GOMAD + a box of pizza every day. That and Layne Norton's PHAT bumped me from 160 to 180 when I was a teen, and made my strength go up.

 

[IrishSpring600]

When I bench I feel like my front delts get more work than pecs, what am I doing wrong form-wise? I have long arms @ 6ft tall, if that helps.

A video would go a long way. Tuck in your elbows as Austin mentioned. Maybe you are protracting your shoulders - don't do that

 

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[AustinS28]

Man I sure hope that butt isn't lifting off the bench...would be hugely disappoint. Judging by the other aspects of the form, good bench.

I have some better videos from May 2014 of competition lifts 535/400/615 raw, won the junior class @227 lbs. but didn't feel like cutting and lifted 242.

 

[Josh Pennie]

Hey Austin!

Question on workouts. I've been working out obsessively since feb. Originally my goal was to cut from 25% BF down to around 12%. I achieved that and am now looking to put on around 20lbs of lean muscle over the next year. I was working out 6 times per week hitting each muscle group around 2x. However this last month I've moved down to 5x per week hitting each group once but lifting as heavy as I can for 4 sets of 5.
I've been reading different things about the best routine for gaining size and mass with some saying hitting each group twice per week and others saying once. From your experience which is most efficient? I find that if I'm hitting twice I have 0 DOMs. But going heavy I'm usually soar the next day. Is that a sign of more efficient training? Or is my body still adapting to the new routine?

Thanks for the thread

 

[AustinS28]

Hey Austin!

Question on workouts. I've been working out obsessively since feb. Originally my goal was to cut from 25% BF down to around 12%. I achieved that and am now looking to put on around 20lbs of lean muscle over the next year. I was working out 6 times per week hitting each muscle group around 2x. However this last month I've moved down to 5x per week hitting each group once but lifting as heavy as I can for 4 sets of 5.
I've been reading different things about the best routine for gaining size and mass with some saying hitting each group twice per week and others saying once. From your experience which is most efficient? I find that if I'm hitting twice I have 0 DOMs. But going heavy I'm usually soar the next day. Is that a sign of more efficient training? Or is my body still adapting to the new routine?

Thanks for the thread

Hey dude, I just want to clarify a few things.

First, I would not advise chasing scale weight. Except for rank beginners, putting on slabs of solid muscle in a short period of time is reserved for people using anabolics and people who are not tend to put on a lot of fat when that is their concern. I've been lifting for 10 years now, this should be treated as a marathon.

Also, a big trap I and many people fall into upon beginning a workout routine is not realizing the importance of recovery. You grow outside of the gym. Working out too much is detrimental to your goals and just as bad as not working out enough. You need to find a happy medium. If you are hitting each body part twice per week you should be using less volume during each training session than on a routine where you are hitting each body part once a week.

At your stage I would focus on getting your lifts as big as possible (squat, bench, deadlift, rows, curls, dips, chins, overhead presses), eat a surplus of calories, but only enough so that you don't put on an excessive amount of fat (you will have to experiment) and give it time.

If your not sore after workouts it can mean 1. You are not training hard enough, or 2. Your body is adapting and recovering very efficiently. I rarely get sore. If you are growing, and the weights are going up, and you're not sore, I wouldn't worry about it. It also means you are eating and sleeping enough for your workload.

I always did better lifting each body part twice a week.

My current routine is,

Day 1 Squats, Deficit Deadlifts, Glute Ham Raise, Lunges
Day 2 Bench Press, Floor Press, Underhand Row, Chins, Lateral Raises, Bicep Curls, Tricep Extensions
Off
Off
Day 5 Deadlift, Front Squats Paused, Split Squats, Hamstring Curls
Day 6 Close Grip Incline Bench, Paused Pin Press, Chest Supported Row, Face Pulls, Rear Delt Flys, Spider Curls, Paused Skull Crushers

I know that is a bare bones routine. I usually work up to a heavy set of 5, the week after do two sets of 5 and with that weight. If I get it without problems I add 5-10lbs the week after.

That said I am in maintenance mode right now. This is much more simple than my powerlifting program that lasted 2-2.5 hours in the gym. However, it's been effective and I am in and out of the gym in 6ish minutes which is perfect 4x a week for a busy guy like me.

 

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[StompingAcorns]

Thanks for the thread, Austin. My questions are around expectation setting.

I started lifting weights and working with a personal trainer a few weeks ago. I'm hoping it will strengthen or balance me such that chronic low level back pain and intermittent knee pain go away. There is nothing structurally wrong - chiro and fascia release both help some. Have you seen back and knee pain go away with weight lifting, particularly in older clients; and if so, roughly how many weeks should I give it to look for improvements?

Along those lines, I was looking at some mobility videos the other day, and he stated that inflexible adductors (?-inner thigh) is a common cause of back pain. Have you seen that in your clients? I'm casting about for anything specific to try.

Also, around expectations again, how long should I give it before looking for a change on the scale or with measurements? I trained earlier this year, and was 100% compliant with all the workouts and diet, but experienced zero change in weight or measurements after 30 days. (I quit, but not because of that - he put me on the elliptical, which I'd never done, and my knees hurt so much that I had to rest them for a couple of months.) I'm still fighting the discouragement and fear that "nothing will work" wrt weight loss. I'm in it for the long haul this time, just looking for some ways to stay motivated when I can't detect any apparent changes.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

 

[AustinS28]

Thanks for the thread, Austin. My questions are around expectation setting.

I started lifting weights and working with a personal trainer a few weeks ago. I'm hoping it will strengthen or balance me such that chronic low level back pain and intermittent knee pain go away. There is nothing structurally wrong - chiro and fascia release both help some. Have you seen back and knee pain go away with weight lifting, particularly in older clients; and if so, roughly how many weeks should I give it to look for improvements?

Along those lines, I was looking at some mobility videos the other day, and he stated that inflexible adductors (?-inner thigh) is a common cause of back pain. Have you seen that in your clients? I'm casting about for anything specific to try.

Also, around expectations again, how long should I give it before looking for a change on the scale or with measurements? I trained earlier this year, and was 100% compliant with all the workouts and diet, but experienced zero change in weight or measurements after 30 days. (I quit, but not because of that - he put me on the elliptical, which I'd never done, and my knees hurt so much that I had to rest them for a couple of months.) I'm still fighting the discouragement and fear that "nothing will work" wrt weight loss. I'm in it for the long haul this time, just looking for some ways to stay motivated when I can't detect any apparent changes.

Thanks for any insight you may have.

Hey, thanks for the question.

I often see lower back pain associated with a weak core and being overweight. Overweight is such a general term. Being overweight the way I use the term means being at a bodyweight where your musculature isn't strong enough to properly support your posture. Other muscles (specifically the lower back), become overworked and fatigued leading to chronic pain. Weight training can significantly reduce this. The other thing I often see is tight hamstrings, the adductors can be involved, but tight hamstrings don't allow for proper mobility when you bend into a squat or deadlift. They inhibit your range of motion and can be a cause of pain.

Typically a person will see changes in strength before body composition. This is due to neural adaptions. Within the first month my clients become accustomed to the movements we do, are able to recruit more motor units and have the ability to generate more force (strength). Strength is very important in the quest for pain relief because as said before, weak muscles leave others muscle overcompensating and fatigue sets in — then pain.

Your routine should include a lot of leg and core work specifically —planks with isometric holds (your trainer should know what this means). Basically you plank, and actively brace your core and glutes. If you are planking correctly and someone touched you, every muscle should be tense. You should also include flexibility drills for the glutes, hamstrings and adductors.

Any trainer putting a client on the elliptical outside of a 5 minute warm-up routine shouldn't be training anyone. You'd be wasting your time and money. You should be learning the fundamental movement patterns which include, proper squatting and deadlifitng, pulling and pressing.

If your diet is in check and your exercise routine is in place, you should be able to see weight loss results in 30 days. However if you are untrained, I would focus more on your waist measurement rather a scale weight. You will be adding lean body mass to your frame and that can jade you into thinking you’re gaining weight, or not losing weight, but in reality you're adding lean body mass which you want and holding more glycogen in your muscles as they become more efficient with the workouts. A scale weight can be deceiving and should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to improve accuracy.

To answer your question, everybody is different. For a complete transformation, 6 months to a year is reasonable to see vast improvements. Many people workout for years to achieve their “dream body.” In 30 days you should be comfortable with the fundamental movements, stronger, slightly more flexible and losing fat. This is granted you're practicing those movements 2-3x per week and doing cardio on top of that. It also means you're being honest with your diet.

Hope that helps.

If you want further help, you can share your routine and we can go over it. I'd also like you to know that just because the gym has personal trainers, doesn't mean they're qualified to train. You can get a certificate online today answering a few questions. Personal training has such a low bar of entry that you’ll have top trainers working alongside trainers that are new to exercise. Gym's care more about the bottom line than the results of clients and will hire a good salesman over a good exercise specialist. This is in most cases I've witnessed and I once worked for a "luxury gym" charging upwards of $150 an hour and considered half of that a scam depending on who you were working with.