AkuraCLS

what do you guys think? i want to get big fast, and i did when i had a trainer..only problem is it's expensive..

the other problem i have is that i'll get big and something will come up, either too much work, or i'll go out with a new girl or whatever and i'll stop going to the gym and i'll lose it all..how do you guys keep going?

the other thing is that i've got a DOPE gym at my work...and i try to go (so far this year) but it's hard going alone..and none of my dumb fuck friends will come with me..ideas?

Doc.Booty

Not worth it to me. I'd rather teach myself and not have to depend on anyone else. This shit really isn't that complicated.

Dedication has to come from within, nobody can teach it to you. We each have our own personal thing(s) that keep(s) us motivated. Me, I'm fueled by a combination of vanity, self-loathing, and the fear of insanity.

Learn to go alone

Whiskers

I have had bad experiences with trainers.....

ric

I work with a trainer who runs his own fitness center, and it has been invaluable for me. The fact that I pay the guy makes my workout time a priority, as I don't want to waste the money. He works with me quite directly; his programs for my stepson and my wife are quite different.

I used to do my own workout regimens, and have had fair success in the past, but I generally pushed myself way too hard, and stressed one muscle group or another by pushing more than I could handle. My trainer paces my progress, and while it is not dramatic, I'm in more than good shape for someone of my age. Moreover, because of the time my work takes, I don't have the time to do the planning that creating a textured and varied program requires........I'd rather pay him for it, and take my leisure time to other areas, knowing that he knows what he's doing.

It all depends on the trainer.............. the guy we work with is unassuming, focused on each client, and interested in working with you on specific goals. He's not just a jockshop trainer, who works with everyone pretty much the same way. His fitness center is no spandex cruising site, but has folks who are dedicated to physical health and enhancement; many have specific challenges, such as his blind client, his MS client, and such. He worked with my wife before her ruptured brain aneurysm, successfully repatriating her then 55-year old arthritic body sufficiently so that she could return to downhill skiing (she had been a competitive downhill racer in her youth). Now, he works with her to re-establish basic motor control, with extraordinary patience, and the end result is a far greater degree of muscle control and flexibility than anyone at her rehab hospital was willing to give her......At the same time, he works with a stable of athletes and retired athletes, and has declined a staff role with a couple of the sports teams in Philly, since he really prefers a mixed practice.

PillsburyChoboy

Ric's right ... it definitely depends on the quality of the trainer. Being certified doesn't mean the trainer will be motivated or helpful. At my gym, some of the trainers or fitness gurus are unbelieveably piss-poor. They would be talking on a cell or Bluetooth half the time, only move to switch the plates or pins, and give some of the most ridiculous explanations known to man. Sure, they "look" the part, but their actions, responsiveness, and enthusiasm border on comedy. And there are others who are way too gung-ho, operating on the mentality that "pain purifies and if you are not in pain, you did not work hard enough." Sure, that philosophy has merit but it's not entirely true, especially for fitness newbies.

I'd recommend finding a quality trainer and using his or her services for several sessions ... get the basics down and/or a consistent training program going. Then go out on your own. There's enough knowledge and informational websites out there that trumpet what any trainer could provide.

If you need motivation, look at the hot chicks at the gym. Or look in the mirror while sitting down.

is300eater

...you wanna get big? My advice is... forget about the gym at work, go join a gym where the atmosphere and attitude is more hard core and less "meat market", like "Gold's Gym" (but then again I seen Gold's that were really no different from any other gym, they just paid the franchise feed and sign), forget about a trainer but after a few weeks "buddy up" with someone with similar goals and knos what he's doing and you got yourself a workout partner. And again, assuming he knows what he's doing , that's a whole lot better than hiring a trainer, not to mention cheaper . The money you save can go towards food, books, magazines....

...oh and in case you didn't know... this advice is coming from a trainer! (...been a trainer for 8 years)

AkuraCLS

is300eater too bad your not closer or i would ask you for some tips then but yah, one of my buddies started comming to the gym with me..he has never gone before in his life so i'm showing him some things..which may or may not be a good thing...i'm telling him to go super light and focus on form before weight..i may not be a trainer but i know form is very very important..anyways, we'll see how i do and if i end up slacking or not seeing results, i'll get a trainer in a month or so

Adam_Schwartz

You want to get big fast? How fast is "fast"?

I am not a big fan of trainers because I am motivated enough and can find all the info I want from books and the web. If you really want to get big, then just deal with the solo lifting. Many people have to do that.