My plan - please help me fill in the blanks

[suzzer99]

Some of these links have been pretty eye-opening, particualarly this guy's site: http://terracotta2.googlepages.com/home

I've read a ton today and really feel like I have a MUCH better handle on how to proceed. Thanks for that.

[suzzer99]

Update: I started with a personal trainer today on Tues/Thu/Sat to fill inbetween my boot camp days. It went better than I could have hoped. I think we pretty much decided once he gets me up to speed we'll just work out together for no charge.

Seems like he really knows what he's doing. But what do I know. I know we worked on my upper body today and some abs and I felt completely gassed in my chest and biceps, w/o really feeling strained or like I totally blasted one movement. So like - a lot smoother than my normal workout. If that makes any sense.

Anyway I know I'll stick to this and the boot camp. So barring injury or something, if I can just keep from grazing on crap at work all day, I should start to see some pretty big results.

Oh yeah, here his what he recommended as supplements:

Isopure protein powder (once after workout, and maybe one before bed)

glutamine powder with the protein

amino acid caps with the protein (first one only i think)

glucosamin sulfate (for an old rotator cuff injury)

Thoughts?

(I'm also taking fish oil, a multivitamin, and 1/2 25mg ephedrine and 200mg caffeine before workout and boot camp for energy - maybe more on the weekends, but I can't think straight if I'm amped up on that stuff at work.)

[dethgrind]

Carbs are really important post workout as well. Mix in some dextrose or oats with the protein. If you can afford all those extra supplements then go for it, though I don't think they'll help as much as being really anal about your diet will.

Being gassed or getting sore doesn't necessarily mean it was a good workout. If building muscle and getting stronger are your goals, you should really mostly be worrying about adding weight to the big exercises. If you can consistently do that, you're money, even if you never get tired.

[suzzer99]

Cool. Yeah poker is going good lately, so money isn't a big concern as far as the supplements. But good to know about the diet. That is by far the toughest thing for me to stick to. Hunger + boredom + free junk food lying around at work is a really bad combination.

My main goal is to lose fat. But I actually like working out and getting exercise. So I figure the best route for me to get there is by building up as much as I can and just try to cheat as little as possible on the diet.

[thirddan]

hey suzzer,

can you post the routine your trainer had you do? did he give any nutrition recommendations?

i was at a different gym that i usually go to this morning and i saw 3 trainers all having their out of shape clients trying to do pistols...wtf is that all about?

[kinda]

get some Optimum Nutrition protein powder. Great stuff and has glutamine in it already. Protein shakes are better for morning than before bed because they digest quickly. You're better off eating some slow-digesting food before bed so your muscles can feed off it while you sleep.

[suzzer99]

[ QUOTE ]
hey suzzer,

can you post the routine your trainer had you do? did he give any nutrition recommendations?



[/ QUOTE ]

He asked about eating. I told him my neighbor is on the zone diet and fixing my meals for me. Basically 3 smallish meals with protein, veggie and some carbs, and 3 healthy snacks. He seemed fine with that.

Hmmm let's see if I can remember everything on the routine, which lasted about 45 min, I'd say. Btw I have been working (but not super heavy) out twice a week and doing the boot camp, so I'm not insanely out of shape. These aren't totally in order. We were moving most of the time, very little rest time. So all of the 2 sets had something inbetween.

2 sets of incline dumbell press

2 sets of incline dumbell butterfly things

2 sets of leg lift (lower abs)

2 sets of "21" bicep curls with straight bar (7 half up from bottom, 7 all the way up from halfway down, 7 full motion)

2 sets of decline press with free-weight-machine (ie - not nautilus) where each arm is independent and comes together at the end of the motion

2 sets of ab curls laying on the big gym ball

2 sets of cable pull bicep curls while standing on one leg

2 sets of butterfly machine (the one with the handles and you keep your elbows up, not the arm-pads)

we ended with 2 sets of bench press with very small weight to where I could barely lift my arms afterward

1 set of side ab crunch machine things

Also on several of the exercises at the end we did a bunch of tiny reps at one end of the motion to totally max out or something

There might have been a couple more bench or curl type things. We did a lot of stuff.

Thoughts on that routine? Oh yeah this guy is about 205, 5'11 I think, and pretty muscular. Says he was 230 4 months ago with no steroids and that he could gain it back in 2-3 months. Sound realistic?

I think he might be a little new to training strangers, as he seemed very eager to please and a little unsure about his prices and some stuff. But we seemed to get along real well. I think I make a pretty good project for a trainer as I have a good frame to work with, and am really motivated.

[thirddan]

"2 sets of cable pull bicep curls while standing on one leg"

seriously?

did he put this workout in context for an overall plan? is this part of some bodypart split? its like chest/bicep day?

to be honest, as it stands by itself, this routine seems quite retarded...and im sure thremp will be in later to tell you to find a program that incorporates major lifts other than a bunch of bench variations...

[Efourdee]

Seems like the standard routine I see the trainers using in my gym.

Weights that are way too light for the reps they are doing is also stardard.

[Efourdee]

Tell you trainer to show you his routine.