Bwwaaa haa haa ha LOL! I was reduced to the bar!

[SteelWeaver]

Alright, for everybody who has so kindly and patiently helped me with my various training questions here lately - I'd like to tell you about my first ever training session with a real trainer! I mentioned on another thread that I'd gone searching for a trainer in desperation for my rather futile comp. prep, and came up trumps with the only pro female in Japan! I can't believe how lucky I am!

She's been helping me with my posing - and you simply cannot BELIEVE the difference in apparent muscularity that simply twisting your leg slightly one way or another will elicit!!!

She's a dream come true, man! She's so cool I'm even considering delaying my return home for a month purely and simply to train with her!

So, we did legs on Sunday - I carbed up a bit on Sat and arrived all smiles for my session - and to tell the truth, nothing she put me through took the smile off my face, I was so happy to have some real guidance for a change!

We started with leg extensions, superset with sissy squats - I've never done pre-exhaustion, because everyone always says start with a compound move, lift heavier for better growth, blah de blah.

Well, I'm pleased to report that the levels of intensity I reached WITH my trainer could only have been possible WITH a second person, and all those who suspected I wasn't working to full intensity/failure on my own were incorrect. I was just doing too many other sub-par sets, BESIDES the "toast" ones.

By the time I heaved myself off the leg ext. I was kind of surprised when I had to do a little tottering dance to stay upright - then slammed straight into sissy squats - WOW! What an incredible feeling.

So, two sets of those, plenty of forced reps, peak contractions and negatives on the exts, moved onto leg press superset with bb lunges. Whew! 2 each of those.

Then did a few light sets of SLDL's while waiting for the squat rack - this is where I had to laugh. I loaded up less than 2/3 of my usual weight, got into the hole maybe twice, then just racked it, laughing - no way! Couldn't do it - my legs were jelly. So we just played with the bar for a set, mostly form check - as many as poss. follewed by some burns.

We finished off with a new move: duck squats on the smith - very interesting move for glutes - awesome finisher. I normally don't go anywhere near the smith, but hell, I'm open to anything this woman can show me. Feet quite far in front, toes on plates, wide stance, down and BACK with bum leading, then shove up with glutes contracting hard all the way.

Woweee!

I did back with her last night, and finally understood why I haven't got stronger there - just a small, seemingly insignificant change in how the shoulders work in the movement, and suddenly I could feel my lats, not just traps and rear delts!

Ladies, if ever in doubt about blowing the cash - aim high and splash out - best investment I ever made! Now if only I hadn't been so damn stubborn all this time .... She just laughs when I come up grinning from every move!

It may be that I'm gonna be a fat arse on stage in a few weeks (although frankly, I don't think I'm gonna be any fatter than I was in May), but my posing is gonna be one helluva good, and I'm gonna be coming back to work with someone who really, truly loves bodybuilding, simply because ... it just feels so damn good.

 

[Gladiola]

Sweet! Glad to hear it was so awesome.

 

[MS]

" Now if only I hadn't been so damn stubborn all this time .... "

Better a slow learner than someone who never learns! And this is only in your first year of real bodybuilding. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and at this stage in your pre-contest prep, any dramatic change is going to feel hard. But learning to pose, and learning the importance of a GOOD trainer (plus just having a training partner to push you) are all extremely beneficial. Bodybuilding is an expensive sport. It's not just about fancy supplements and protein! Of course, long term hypertrophy is what you're after, and only time will tell.

 

[Sassy69]

KICK IT GIRL!


Now if I could just get my own shit together.... I've got an awesome PL source in my neighborhood, however I also have a rich, egotistical boss who is at a crossroads in a company I literally feel like I'm the only who can save. I'm up at 6 am this morning because the dummass doesn't even have a business plan for his business and about 1/3 of his staff is people related to the chick he's fucking. I'm not sure to call nepotism or in-breeding.

Ain't corporate America fun? Although it pays better than unemployment....

 

[w84me]

I'm with you there. BellSouth just laid of 12K people ... I'm still here but doing 3 more jobs on top of mine because I was one of the "lucky" ones still left here. At least there's a paycheck coming in.

Steel -- I'm with you! If I hadn't had a trainer critique my form and bust my a$$ a few weeks -- I would still be at the same beaten path and frustrated. Go girl.

 

[JJFigure]

It's amazing what a difference a few little changes make. That's great on the posing help! Does she make you practice in front of the mirrors at the gym during peak hours? That's always an enjoyable experience...nothing like having the other gym-goers gawking.

 

[SteelWeaver]

Oh god, I think I'm in love ... lol

Watching her demonstrate form is like watching art in motion ...

That's it - I've changed my plans - gonna stay here another month, will have 2 full months with her! Ah, life is heavenly! And it's going to be even MORE heavenly when I can eat again, and give out ten thousand-volt energy sparks in my sessions. Whoo hoo!

She doesn't make me pose in front of everyone - we reserve the studio, but I've had some problems fitting in enough of my own posing practice thanks to all the friggin training I'm doing, so I've decided fuck-it - I'm just gonna flex in the mirrors in the gym if the studio's busy and people can think whatever they like. If anyone stares I'll just imagine that they're thinking WOW, she looks hot! lol

It's pretty hard for me to concentrate on more than one thing at a time right now though, so I probably won't even notice if people stare.

I'm gonna groooowwww

 

[Sassy69]

Dont' forget that one little key thing about posing in front of the mirror -- especially when you are doing your routine -- you get used to watching yourself in the mirror and you forget where your audience would be sitting so be sure you have the stage layout oriented correctly in your mind - or else you'll find yourself used to doign your routine facing the wrong direction

 

[SteelWeaver]

lol - thanks sassy - yeah, I practice without mirrors too.

Sorry to hear about your jerk boss. Funny how so many jerks become bosses. Or so many bosses are jerks. Or ...