Problems at the gym, advice needed!!

mickysquint

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice, any help would be greatly appreciated!
About 2 months ago I decided that I needed to get my arse in gear and head back to the gym after a couple of years of letting myself go. I'm 31, 6'2", and 101kg. I'm eating a lot more healthier, drinking loads of water and I'm in the gym 4-5 times a week and in the time I've been going I have lost 6kg.
The thing is though the gym I'm going to there seems to be a bit of internal bickering going on between the instructors. since I've been there I've been given 3 different programmes and about a week later I'm told by the next instructor that the programmes no good. So I'm getting a bit fed up with it all and its actually sending me to the point where i don't wanna go to the gym, I cant change as the next gym is miles away. But if I had an idea of some exercises to do with out relying on the instructors I'd be grand. At the moment I'm doing a day of cardio (eg. approx 6.5km treadmill, 12km bike, 3000m on the rower), then the next I'm doing various weight machines (eg. chest press, shoulder press, lat pull down, butterflies, lat curls, bi-cep curls).
I'd like to lose another 6kg and tone up, and although I'm seeing a difference in my arms I'm not noticing any difference in my stomach and chest which I'm really desperate to change!
So any help or advice would be a great help, really sorry for the long message and thanks for reading.

squod

Have you googled starting strength or stronglifts? might not suit everyone but a decent way to introduce barbell exercises into a routine.

TimeToShine

Can you post the routines they gave you so we can collectively laugh at the uselessness of PTs?

grimloch

TimeToShine wrote: »

Can you post the routines they gave you so we can collectively laugh at the uselessness of PTs?

Ah super, someone with a whopping 6 months lifting experience summarily dismissing an entire profession.


6kg in 2 months seems like great going OP so I'd be inclined to stick with whatever you've been doing up to this point. It's clearly working.

TimeToShine

grimloch wrote: »

Ah super, someone with a whopping 6 months lifting experience summarily dismissing an entire profession.


6kg in 2 months seems like great going OP so I'd be inclined to stick with whatever you've been doing up to this point. It's clearly working.

14

cmyk

mickysquint wrote: »

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice, any help would be greatly appreciated!
About 2 months ago I decided that I needed to get my arse in gear and head back to the gym after a couple of years of letting myself go. I'm 31, 6'2", and 101kg. I'm eating a lot more healthier, drinking loads of water and I'm in the gym 4-5 times a week and in the time I've been going I have lost 6kg.

Well done on the weight loss, that's great progress.

mickysquint wrote: »

The thing is though the gym I'm going to there seems to be a bit of internal bickering going on between the instructors. since I've been there I've been given 3 different programmes and about a week later I'm told by the next instructor that the programmes no good.

Very unprofessional. If you want to post up the full programme we'll take a look at it here for you. As you've no doubt discovered by now though, how you apply the programme and your diet is arguably more important than what that programme contains, once there's nothing stupidly dangerous in there.

mickysquint wrote: »

So I'm getting a bit fed up with it all and its actually sending me to the point where i don't wanna go to the gym

Keep the faith, you're heading in the right direction.

mickysquint wrote: »

I'm seeing a difference in my arms I'm not noticing any difference in my stomach and chest which I'm really desperate to change!

Fat loss unfortunately doesn't always come off in the order you'd like it to. It will eventually though.

compaqlaptop1

mickysquint wrote: »

But if I had an idea of some exercises to do with out relying on the instructors I'd be grand. At the moment I'm doing a day of cardio (eg. approx 6.5km treadmill, 12km bike, 3000m on the rower), then the next I'm doing various weight machines (eg. chest press, shoulder press, lat pull down, butterflies, lat curls, bi-cep curls).
I'd like to lose another 6kg and tone up, and although I'm seeing a difference in my arms I'm not noticing any difference in my stomach and chest which I'm really desperate to change!
So any help or advice would be a great help, really sorry for the long message and thanks for reading.

You dont need some random gym instructor to give you a routine. If you were getting it off a professional personal trainer it would be a different story but I cant see any reason to follow a program given to you by some gym instructor.

A far better idea is to get a routine off the net that has been put together by someone who has decades of experience in coaching/competing in powerlifting/bodybuilding.

And to save you the trouble you should start with Rippetoes Starting Strength program (not just the exercises, also read up on the importance of diet and recovery). Then after a few months when you have built up some nice strength, and are in much better shape overall you could switch to another program that better suits your goals.

At the moment I'm doing a day of cardio (eg. approx 6.5km treadmill, 12km bike, 3000m on the rower), then the next I'm doing various weight machines (eg. chest press, shoulder press, lat pull down, butterflies, lat curls, bi-cep curls).

That looks like a crap program to me tbh, unless you are training for a triathlon or something. Cant see the point in all that cardio for a standard gym goer looking to get in shape and feel better - ie, lose the gut, bulk up chest and arms, drop overall bf%. Unless you are training for a sport you are wasting your time doing that much cardio. You would get far better returns for your time by focusing 90%+ of your efforts on weights. I would recommend dropping the cardio to 20-30 mins and to do it after you've hit the weights first.

BlueIsland

Lost 49 pounds since January following this advice on routine........


Low level cardio- 2-5 hours per week of walking, hiking, swimming, cycling or other exercise at about 60% of your max!
Strength training- brief intense sessions, always under an hour, 3 times a week.
Sprinting- all out efforts lasting 8 to 60 seconds. Total workout under 20 minutes. Go for one of these every 7-10 days.
Schedule- vary workout type, frequency, intensity and duration.
Stretching- full body functional stretches

Get a gram of protein for every pound on you and minimise carb intake and you will be onto a winner.

Mellor

grimloch wrote: »

Ah super, someone with a whopping 6 months lifting experience summarily dismissing an entire profession.

How you you know that guy has only been lifting 6 months? Genuine question.

Seeing as the OP gae a brief description, and its all machine weights and no free weights. I'd say it could be a lot better.
given the fact that the PT are bickering and eahch dismissing each others routine, then i'd say there is a certain amount of uselessness at play.

I don't see how this is dismissing the entire profession, there are plenty of excellant PT out there.
But the industry doesn't exactly have a high level of professionalism.

The Davestator

Quote "A far better idea is to get a routine off the net that has been put together by someone who has decades of experience in coaching/competing in powerlifting/bodybuilding"

Thats total rubbish. Most of these so called Internet experts are nothing more than cut and paste experts who are trying to sell something. Also, a trainer will discuss your goals, how much time you have per week etc. People who have read a book or two slating a trainer who has studied annoys me.

Molly

Because TimeToShine was posting around Christmas time asking for gym advice and saying he didn't need to train legs cos he played hurling or something to that affect

Vegeta

Hey OP before this descends further into a bitch fest about gym staff, just want to point out that even with the worst gym program in the world you will continue to lose weight if your diet is right.

Of course hitting the gym hard will help but worry about the calories first.

grimloch

Mellor wrote: »

How you you know that guy has only been lifting 6 months? Genuine question.

I hate looking through posting histories for this but like Molly said, he started a thread 5 months ago saying so.

compaqlaptop1

The Davestator wrote: »

Quote "A far better idea is to get a routine off the net that has been put together by someone who has decades of experience in coaching/competing in powerlifting/bodybuilding"

Thats total rubbish. Most of these so called Internet experts are nothing more than cut and paste experts who are trying to sell something.

Internet experts? The programs Im talking about are put together by real world experts. You dont have to pay any money to get them, the info is freely available all over the net.

You are actually talking total rubbish when you refer to guys like Rippetoe, Pendlay, Bill Starr, De Franco, Layne Norton, etc. as 'cut and paste experts'. There are countless logs on countless fitness forums where people follow these tried and trusted programs and get excellent results over months/years.

Please explain to me how it is a better idea to follow a program from a random gym instructor (like the one OP is currently following with no free weights and a pointless amount of cardio) than from world renowned experts who have trained elite athletes & were/are elite atheles themselves?

Also, a trainer will discuss your goals, how much time you have per week etc. People who have read a book or two slating a trainer who has studied annoys me.

Im not slating PTs, like I already said if you had bothered to read my post fully, it would be a different story if the OP was getting instruction off a professional personal trainer. He's not though, he is being given retarded routines that are being switched up on a weekly basis by bickering gym staff who dont actually need to be any good to keep their job and who are obviously not going to be nearly as knowledgeable as a personal trainer who is able to command fees of €50+ an hour and gets repeats business because he gets results for his clients.

If I wasnt broke I would hire a proper PT for a few sessions to work on some stuff and check my form on some lifts. But there is no way in hell I am going to take advice off some random dude working for a gym.

corkcomp

I would try to avoid over thinking things when it comes to programs, i'll probably get flamed for this but do a 50/50 split of weights and cardio, either on separate sessions or in the same visit, lift heavy, do compounds. for cardio mix it up between intervals and moderately high longer session. IMO you should be breaking a sweat and keeping your hear rate up for most of the time your inside that gym, forget the instructors in this case.

Mellor

grimloch wrote: »

I hate looking through posting histories for this but like Molly said, he started a thread 5 months ago saying so.

Ah grand, I wasn't sure if the posts were edited or something

SpaceCowb0y

Well done OP on the weight loss!!:) Getting started is the hardest part!!

If your finding the gym instructors are confusing you maybe think about booking a session with a personal trainer who will put you on the right track with your training and your diet!! Helped me alot when i first started out and well worth the money i paid.

Justin1982

mickysquint wrote: »

Hi all,
Just looking for a bit of advice, any help would be greatly appreciated!
About 2 months ago I decided that I needed to get my arse in gear and head back to the gym after a couple of years of letting myself go. I'm 31, 6'2", and 101kg. I'm eating a lot more healthier, drinking loads of water and I'm in the gym 4-5 times a week and in the time I've been going I have lost 6kg.
The thing is though the gym I'm going to there seems to be a bit of internal bickering going on between the instructors. since I've been there I've been given 3 different programmes and about a week later I'm told by the next instructor that the programmes no good. So I'm getting a bit fed up with it all and its actually sending me to the point where i don't wanna go to the gym, I cant change as the next gym is miles away. But if I had an idea of some exercises to do with out relying on the instructors I'd be grand. At the moment I'm doing a day of cardio (eg. approx 6.5km treadmill, 12km bike, 3000m on the rower), then the next I'm doing various weight machines (eg. chest press, shoulder press, lat pull down, butterflies, lat curls, bi-cep curls).
I'd like to lose another 6kg and tone up, and although I'm seeing a difference in my arms I'm not noticing any difference in my stomach and chest which I'm really desperate to change!
So any help or advice would be a great help, really sorry for the long message and thanks for reading.

Dont worry so much. Your making good progress. It takes time to get into shape after years of neglect. Dont change your programme! Its working so it doesnt need to be changed!
As the fat disappears you'll probably start to see stomach muscles at some stage.

If your loosing weight consistently then your on a calorie deficit. If your on a calorie deficit then you'll be doing well to put muscle onto your arms or any other part of your body.
Focus on loosing the weight first. Then when you get to the weight you want, you can start to focus on getting a good weights programme and build muscle while on a slight calorie surplus.

Dont take my word for it though. Go to a good website like bodybuilding.com and educate yourself. Their nutrition and weights programme sections in forum have excellent free information and its not some guy trying to sell you something.
Its good to understand what you are doing so you know why things are working or not working as you expect. Otherwise one can get frustrated at this craic!

Good luck!

Degsy

You want to lose fat you'll need to work some cardio into your programme,a half hour of something like incline walking after your weights will give good results in a few months.

SteelyDanJalapeno

Degsy wrote: »

You want to lose fat you'll need to work some cardio into your programme,a half hour of something like incline walking after your weights will give good results in a few months.

Can you elaborate on why he'll need cardio to lose fat?

TimeToShine

Molly wrote: »

Because TimeToShine was posting around Christmas time asking for gym advice and saying he didn't need to train legs cos he played hurling or something to that affect

I've been training since Christmas of 2009, admittedly in a stupid kind of newb way but training nonetheless. For your information, my rugby coach had our team doing plenty of squats/Deads and other compound exercises since the start of this academic year, and in my naivety me and a few of the team presumed we were doing too much lower body exercises. As a result, come Christmas I came here asking for a good upperbody workout and said I didn't need to train legs, hoping to avoid the "do your squats fággot" argument, which is exactly what I got. At this point, I went to BB and asked there, where some kind gentlemen suggest a push/pull split which I adopted, whilst explaining that I wasn't overworking my lower body, and that these compound exercises are essential for beginners to develop a good strength base. Since then, I've done plenty of research on fitness in an attempt to improve my knowledge of the subject, and in that research the topic of PT's telling people to use machines and not telling them to squat and DL due to injury fears(or financial trouble) has come up quite often, so you can excuse my opinion. I'm sure there are plenty of great trainers out there, but when someone posts saying 2 of them are arguing over which machine routine a newb should adopt then I will voice my opinion about the quality of trainers in this country and in general whether you agree or not.

Molly

So, I'm off College for a month now so I decided to start going to the gym to do weights and hopefully build up some muscle. The original plan was to go every second day, but after going on Friday my arms and pecs are still killing me. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how much longer I should wait before going again, or if I should just man up and go anyway. Also, I'm not sure whether going when your muscles are sore is more or less beneficial than going when you're feeling fine. If anyone could suggest to me how often I should go to maximise muscle building that would be great. Thanks very much

To me the above doesn't match with what you're saying in your last post but whatever. You also were of the impression you needed a power rack to deadlift. Also after 14 or 15 months I'd have hoped someone would have the balls to not be afraid to deadlift because someone who wanted to bench with the bar would glare at them and wouldn't tell someone they needed a power rack to deadlift

TimeToShine

Molly wrote: »

To me the above doesn't match with what you're saying in your last post but whatever. You also were of the impression you needed a power rack to deadlift. Also after 14 or 15 months I'd have hoped someone would have the balls to not be afraid to deadlift because someone who wanted to bench with the bar would glare at them and wouldn't tell someone they needed a power rack to deadlift

Sigh, Once again I was trying to get a beginner routine for my upper body. Also, yes I do think you need a power rack to deadlift. If you saw my post after that, I said it's perfectly viable to use the one from the bench, it's just that it's always in use. I use the gym in my college and I've rarely seen the bench unoccupied. I've never used a gym without a power rack so I can't comment on how I would act, but I probably would have taken the bar off the bench if no-one was using it. But by all means, continue to look through my post history to find more evidence of my stupidity, I'm sure you're thoroughly enjoying it.

Molly

Also, yes I do think you need a power rack to deadlift.

I'm out

TimeToShine

Molly wrote: »

I'm out

Good argument, we should do it again sometime.

Mellor

TimeToShine wrote: »

Good argument, we should do it again sometime.

He is pretty much right. How could you possible need a rack to deadlift?


I think you are saying that you need a rack so that you can take the barbell off it. Which makes no sense. All you need is a barbell and plates, this can be from a rack, a bench, or simply on its own. It doesn't matter where it comes from.

TommyKnocker

Mellor wrote: »

He is pretty much right. How could you possible need a rack to deadlift?

*** Edit; Takes both feet out of mouth

Mellor wrote: »

I think you are saying that you need a rack so that you can take the barbell off it. Which makes no sense. All you need is a barbell and plates, this can be from a rack, a bench, or simply on its own. It doesn't matter where it comes from.

The only time I have ever seen a rack used for dead lifts was a guy who was dead liftigng less the 60kg and used the pins on the rack to bring the bar up to the required height.

But if you can dead lift 60kg+ then there is absolutely no requirement for a rack/cage.

Molly

No i'm not.

TommyKnocker

Molly wrote: »

No i'm not.

Ooopppps, Just assumed from the name :o:o

Rovi

I too would love to hear the reasoning for NEEDING a rack for deadlifting.
Equipment wise, it's about the simplest lift there is: a barbell and ground solid enough that your feet don't sink when you lift.

The only possible thing I can conceive of is where the lifter doesn't have available to them plates big enough to put the bar at the correct starting height, but that can be resolved in plenty of ways beside a rack.

TimeToShine

Obviously you don't need a rack to actually deadlift, but in any normal gym a barbell usually comes with a rack, I've never seen a gym where they've just stuck a barbell on the floor in the corner and said there you go, deadlifting area. When I say you need a power rack/squat rack to DL, I mean that you need the rack and the equipment that comes with it. Again, I am not accustomed to ripping the BB off the bench press and using that, firstly because in my gym what would mean blocking off the whole DB section and secondly because as stated above the bench press is always in use. Having said that, have you ever tried deloading 120kg+ from a deadlift with no rack? lifting one side with one arm and ripping the 25-15kg plates off(which may or may not get stuck as you know) is by no means easy. Of course, all you need to deadlift is a barbell and plates, but my main point here is I've never seen them on their own, so I'd rather refer to the set they come with to be as clear as possible.

Mauricmo

TimeToShine wrote: »

have you ever tried deloading 120kg+ from a deadlift with no rack? lifting one side with one arm and ripping the 25-15kg plates off(which may or may not get stuck as you know) is by no means easy.

Its quite possible to do this without a rack and with ease. The way I do it is roll one end of the barbell onto a 1.25kg plate, so that on one side all the plates are elevated and can be pulled off the bar easily. Then simply roll it off and repeat on the other end.

Simples.

Hanley

TimeToShine wrote: »

Obviously you don't need a rack to actually deadlift, but in any normal gym a barbell usually comes with a rack, I've never seen a gym where they've just stuck a barbell on the floor in the corner and said there you go, deadlifting area. When I say you need a power rack/squat rack to DL, I mean that you need the rack and the equipment that comes with it. Again, I am not accustomed to ripping the BB off the bench press and using that, firstly because in my gym what would mean blocking off the whole DB section and secondly because as stated above the bench press is always in use. Having said that, have you ever tried deloading 120kg+ from a deadlift with no rack? lifting one side with one arm and ripping the 25-15kg plates off(which may or may not get stuck as you know) is by no means easy. Of course, all you need to deadlift is a barbell and plates, but my main point here is I've never seen them on their own, so I'd rather refer to the set they come with to be as clear as possible.

Taking a loaded barbell for a walk ro place it on a rack so you can strip it is infinitely more dangerous than unloading it on the ground.

Mellor

TimeToShine wrote: »

Obviously you don't need a rack to actually deadlift, but in any normal gym a barbell usually comes with a rack, I've never seen a gym where they've just stuck a barbell on the floor in the corner and said there you go, deadlifting area.

To use my main gym as an example.
There are two racks, two flat benches, 1 incline bench.
There use to be 6 barbells, one is currently broken.

They are normally on the racks/benchs, but that's just handier for storage.
If I want to deadlidt, or do cleans, i take what ever one is free and use that. This is absolutely not an issue at all. If somebody wants to use the bench, tough, there is no excercise heirarchy in the gym that but the bench press at the top.

If I want to bench and its missing, i'll grab it from the squat rack.

Having said that, have you ever tried deloading 120kg+ from a deadlift with no rack? lifting one side with one arm and ripping the 25-15kg plates off(which may or may not get stuck as you know) is by no means easy.

How do you get the 120kg barbell back on to the rack to deload it? Surely thats more effort than stripping a full bar.
I really hope you aren't suggesting what I think you are.

Of course, all you need to deadlift is a barbell and plates, but my main point here is I've never seen them on their own, so I'd rather refer to the set they come with to be as clear as possible.

They are often found together as you need both to do BB squats, but they are separate pieces. Lots of gyms have single barbells, any gym with a focus on barbell work will. (be if an oly gym, crossfit or simply a good weight liftng gym). Just because you never have, is a reflection on your gym.