About becoming a personal trainer

[PTC]

I havent even mentioned the unsupported press chat.

He wanted me to get cables/pulleys on the wall so the guys could do an unsupported press.

I stared back with that confused look, and performed the action of a MP.

He nodded his head and walked away.

I'm glad my clients were standing around listening, as I figured nobody would believe this stuff

 

[The Hamburgler]

Lol I think you flustered him
Fair enough he wants to have a chat to you about something, or just to come have a look to see what you're doing
Clearly he hasn't thought much through before stepping foot in the door

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Again, I would be interested to hear the results of his approach.

We're very familiar with the results of Markos' approach. And in case there's any doubt, he's trying it on an entire football team. If they get at least second-last this season, that'll be an improvement for them.

But we don't know the results of this guy's approach, if any.

I realise that "stick with what we know works, until something which has shown itself to be better comes along" is a radical idea in the fitness and sporting industries, but there you go, I'm a crazy radical that way.

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Had a young woman come for a reassessment. I looked through her old routine, and asked her which exercises she'd enjoyed and which not, which she felt had got her results and which not.

"I liked the leg press, but I stopped doing the bench press on the swiss ball," it was all like that.
"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks to me like the common theme is, when it's an exercise where you're trying to balance, you don't like it and don't feel it's useful for you, where it's an exercise where you have to use a bit of grunt, you like it."
"Exactly."
"I believe I can suggest a routine where you have to use a bit of grunt."

And off we went to teach her squats and deadlifts. She's a desk worker, so it will be of benefit to her health. Not very strong or very weak, so I made it bodyweight squats, inverted rows and pushups, and then barbell squats, rack pulls, and dumbbell overhead press. She loved it, I've seen her in working out a few times since. She couldn't imagine deadlifting even her own bodyweight, luckily Monica was around who has, I could introduce them.

It's a slow process, but like I always say to my clients, progress is progress.

I have basically stopped working at the council gym, I am working at two YMCA-run places. They are a bit bureaucratic and risk-averse, but overall I'd say I like their values.

 

[The Hamburgler]

Nice work Kyle. I'm fairly lucky that only 1 (out of my 6 lol) client doesn't like doing "heavy lifts" with a break in between sets (the one I spoke of the other day). Tried explaining why I do it and she said "No, I just like to keep moving. I don't like breaks". Whatevs lol. My other clients, (all have been female at this stage) once I explain to them my reasoning behind doing strength based exercises at the beginning of the session before moving into "cardio" have lapped it up. They're still all fairly weak but slowly getting there.
My brother and cousin (both 16 y/old stick insects) are going to start training together for basketball/footy respectively, so at least I'm kinda doing what I want, as far as training young athletes

 

[Kyle Aaron]

They can do heavy lifts while still moving. You just need something less demanding of their muscles in between. If I have any clients who are a bit too chatty, I give them something like,

Barbell squat
Inverted row off racked barbell
Pushups
(repeat)

I've yet to do that for more than two rounds without the person either asking for a break, or stalling as they move from one exercise to the next. And thus the saying "careful what you wish for, you may just get it."

 

[eje]

If I have any clients who are a bit too chatty, I give them something like,

Barbell squat
Inverted row off racked barbell
Pushups
(repeat)

JUst keep loading them up till they shut up...haha
Why do you think im lifting so heavy? lol
I would drive you insane...

 

[The Hamburgler]

I think my last session with the lady was:

16kg KB Deadlift x 5
24kg x 5
32kg x 5
40kg x 5
50kg BB Deadlift x 2 *Puff and pant for 30seconds* x 2
40kg x 10
32kg x 10
24kg x 10
16kg x 10
*rests while I set up the next circuit*
4kg KB press x 5
6kg x 5
8kg x 5
10kg x 2 *pause* x 2
8kg x 10
6kg x 10
4kg x 10

Then I took your idea of doing the circuits for time. This took us to about 35-40 minutes. Spoke about how to correct her posture (she has really bad anterior tilt at the pelvis) and did some stretches because she was still stiff and sore from the group class on Tuesday. I'll also add that for whatever reason she always tries doing Cannonballs, even after I've told her a million times to just do Deadlifts (plus obviously explaining the difference every time)

*edit*
Yes Eje, I think you must drive your trainer nuts

 

[eje]

*edit*
Yes Eje, I think you must drive your trainer nuts

Graeme, you are absolutely right. He is a very experienced trainer and he is mature and ignores my shit, literally, he will just walk away or ignore my texts....and it's awesome.
I swear at him, blame him for the rest days, bitch, moan, whine, dance around the gym when excited, check myself out in the mirror, perve on other gym goers and hide behind him to do it, text him demanding a 5kg increase in one week in my bench etc etc. I expect to be rewarded when i do well and ignored when im retarded...thats what i need and thats what ive got this time.

So yep graeme, i do drive him nuts but he has it in check at all times!
Every now and then one like me comes along, how would you handle it??? Dont answer, just think bout it

 

[The Hamburgler]

I don't have a mirror or male gym goers for starters

 

[PTC]

I use the Cesar Milan approach for clients like you eje......the pack sorts you out.

The last one lasted one session, he was "peacocking"

He was a bouncer, told me at one stage during his "peacocking" that he was very strong, he used to deadlift 160kg.

After I asked about the 6th bloke how much he deadlifted, with the lowest being 200kg by a 62yo man, he shut up, left, and has never returned.

A serious lifter would shut up, put his head down and train. A dick would quit.

The "pack" did its job

That's why PTC is such a nice place to train.

I did have one girl who was "challenging". I booted her out, she used to post on here. Came back for one session years later. Havent heard from her since.

Kyle, why did you stop at the Council Gym? Thats where you started, correct?

 

[eje]

Peacocking, is that what ive been doing markos? Thankyou kindly once again. Every single thing you say to me has a possible double meaning. I was stupid enough to think that you were actually being encouraging asking to see my bench, crapping on about motivating the girls but the whole time youve just been sitting back and laughing. Well, you have sucessfully made the example/fuckwit out of me that you intended to eventually anyway. No mockery here. Yeah right.

 

[PTC]

eje, your going to have to calm the fuck down

Do you know why NOBODY mentioned your spotting, its because of your reaction. We all knew a 45kg girl wasnt benching 60kg or 62.5kg, but everyone was too scared to say anything, so I did.

Yes, what you do in the gym is "peacocking"

Do I care? Not in the slightest, not my gym, not my client.

How about, so you dont get pissed off and have a tantrum, like you say you do in the gym, I never respond to your posts anymore. Dont pm me either

That would work best I think

Have a nice life

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Today Gina did,

Bodyweight squats, 22 x3
Pushups, 13 x3
Inverted rows with knees bent, 13x3

BB back squats, 20kg x5, 30kg x5, 37.5kg x3, 42.5kg x1, 45kg 3x5, 47.5kg x1, 50kg x1
BB rack pulls, 40kg x5, 50kg x3, 55kg x2, 57.5kg 2x5

Tabata thrusters with 7kg dumbbells x63

She had previously squatted 42.5kg 3x8 and rack pulled 55kg 3x6, and thrusters were 54 reps or so, so this is more than before. We tend to work in the 2-3x5-8 range, start with a couple of sets of 5, build up to a few sets of 8, when she can do that, time to move up in weight.

She was curious if she could squat her bodyweight, she weighed in at 49.5kg and squatted 50kg once. It was rough, she's not ready for that as work weight, but she went to depth and got the weight up, I think it would pass at a comp. She was pretty happy. Strength makes people happy.

 

[eje]

The spotting was no secret.
Yep, i will absoutely be better off without your ridicule, you are right.
Good luck to the girls, they really are inspirational

 

[leachy]

Hey Kyle you seem to prescribe rack pulls alot. What's the theory behind that?

 

[Kyle Aaron]

Leachy, as you'll know the proper height for a deadlift is with the normal 20kg plate. At the two Y gyms, there are no bumper plates. So if you can't pull 60kg you're stuck. We can put the plates on other plates or aerobic steps or whatever, but that takes time and PT sessions are half an hour and anyway it's never at quite the right height.

I do give lots of rows and single dumbbell sumo squats and so on. But the rack pull is a good way to get them started on the deadlift movement with less than 60kg.

Also many people begin with pretty tight hamstrings, going to the full deadlift would then give them a lot of lower back rounding. So some time working the shorter range of motion loosens up their legs and lets them lift with a good back. By the time they're pulling more than 60kg from the rack they're usually mobile enough to go from the floor.

Once they can pull 70kg from the rack they can pull 60kg from the floor, and we progress the exercise.

 

[PTC]

Thats a great squat by Gina. I reckon a 50kg full squat( I hate the fact I even have to use that term, but alas, I do) by any girl is impressive.

I have mine aim for that, then we build the reps before we go heavier. Over 90% of the girls are now squatting 50kg at PTC.

 

[Kyle Aaron]

I'll tell her you said so, Markos. I mention your gym a lot, she'll know who I mean. Again it was pretty rough in form, but this ain't ballet. I would guess another 2-3 weeks before it looks good and can be done for several reps. Gina's 40, by the way.

Inspired by your lot, I am trying to get some women lifters together regularly. I said before that at this gym I knew of only 4 women training for serious strength (there may be heaps across the oval at the Olympic weightlifting club). One is a paralympian in shotput/discus/javelin, Noni Thompson, I don't really know her. The other 3 are my clients - Agatha, Gina and Monica. Another 2 Carolyn and Swati are not my clients, just general gym-goers who I've given a routine to and often work with, and who are keen on strength.

I'm trying to get the 5 of them together for a training session (not charged for, just social) to encourage them, it's hard doing stuff on your own. I'm hoping for a regular time when they come along and work together, obviously with life happening only 2-3 might come each week, but still that'd be good. When selling the idea I've mentioned PTC, saying, "lifting here where you're one of the strongest women is different to the way it would be there where 16 women have pulled 100kg from the ground."

 

[PTC]

Kyle, you know your welcome to train your girls at PTC, as discussed before.

We only have rules against idiots training poorly.

If the girls and you are interested, let me know. No charge for the girls, sexual favours from you