full body workouts only?

[shugrblossm]

A trainer at my gym asked me what my workouts and goals were. I told him I do chest and shoulders one day, legs another day, and shoulders and back on another day. Three lift days a week. I told him my goals were to get bigger, stronger legs, and my upper body goal was that i wanted more strength than i did size. (I dont care for giant arms) He told me my workouts were all wrong. The one body art per week was all wrong for my goals and my gender. he said with one body part per week I'd see results in a few years. He suggested 3 total body workouts per week if i wanted strength and toning. Is he correct?? Total body workouts get boring after a while and i feel like im hitting a plateau. Should i keep the total body workouts and how do i keep changing them up (besides doing different exercising)? What are some different techniques...Thanks

 

[Thandie]

The trainer is incorrect. Trainers at my gym used to tell me the samething. Now they watch me in awe at what I cand do with my body and their clients look the same year after year. They all do that with their clients and I don't know why. I guess if you hire them and miss a couple of days at the gyn, your whole body is covered. lol!

 

[Rebecca D]

I'm currently doing 3 full body workouts this week, but only this week. I'll throw them in every couple of months just to change things up. Sometimes I'll even do the bodypump class several times in a week instead of my regular routine. But to do it every week for an extended period would be boring. Also, it is difficult to fully work the bodyparts you do last. If I do back and chest first then I don't feel my shoulders are getting my best effort. I personally get a lot better results splitting up my bodyparts. It is nice to change occassionally though.

Rebecca D

 

[Tatyana]

There are so many different routines, there isn't any one way to do it.

Right now I split my workouts into upper and lower body, three times a week.

 

[ironwings]

A trainer at my gym asked me what my workouts and goals were. I told him I do chest and shoulders one day, legs another day, and shoulders and back on another day. Three lift days a week. I told him my goals were to get bigger, stronger legs, and my upper body goal was that i wanted more strength than i did size. (I dont care for giant arms) He told me my workouts were all wrong. The one body art per week was all wrong for my goals and my gender. he said with one body part per week I'd see results in a few years. He suggested 3 total body workouts per week if i wanted strength and toning. Is he correct?? Total body workouts get boring after a while and i feel like im hitting a plateau. Should i keep the total body workouts and how do i keep changing them up (besides doing different exercising)? What are some different techniques...Thanks

__________________________
So many times I hear this from male to female. I too, like Thandie, love to see the trainers watch in amazement.

I like full body workouts, especially for beginners who are trying to jump start weight loss. But when you are telling him that your goals are strength he is NOT listening. He see's female. Imagine doing shoulder presses with the heaviest weight you can possibly muster for some reps and then trying to do that again two days later. I love the word toning. Typically this is followed by light weight, high reps spill. Tell him to move over. Let him watch you progress and gain strength you never thought possible (and he didn't either

Choose a good well rounded routine and stick with it for awhile. You will want to track your progress on those movements and ensure that you are always going up in weight or reps. Push yourself each time. I had a client last night ask me "I'm waiting for the day that this gets easier." It never gets easier - you are always pushing yourself past your limits.

Please don't worry about size. Look in some of the ladies journals in here. Read how much they are lifting and then look at their pictures.

Show him what you are made of

 

[Thandie]

a trainer at my gym asked me what my workouts and goals were. I told him i do chest and shoulders one day, legs another day, and shoulders and back on another day. Three lift days a week. I told him my goals were to get bigger, stronger legs, and my upper body goal was that i wanted more strength than i did size. (i dont care for giant arms) he told me my workouts were all wrong. The one body art per week was all wrong for my goals and my gender. He said with one body part per week i'd see results in a few years. He suggested 3 total body workouts per week if i wanted strength and toning. Is he correct?? Total body workouts get boring after a while and i feel like im hitting a plateau. Should i keep the total body workouts and how do i keep changing them up (besides doing different exercising)? What are some different techniques...thanks

__________________________
so many times i hear this from male to female. I too, like thandie, love to see the trainers watch in amazement.

I like full body workouts, especially for beginners who are trying to jump start weight loss. But when you are telling him that your goals are strength he is not listening. He see's female. Imagine doing shoulder presses with the heaviest weight you can possibly muster for some reps and then trying to do that again two days later. I love the word toning. Typically this is followed by light weight, high reps spill. Tell him to move over. Let him watch you progress and gain strength you never thought possible (and he didn't either

choose a good well rounded routine and stick with it for awhile. You will want to track your progress on those movements and ensure that you are always going up in weight or reps. Push yourself each time. I had a client last night ask me "i'm waiting for the day that this gets easier." it never gets easier - you are always pushing yourself past your limits.

Please don't worry about size. Look in some of the ladies journals in here. Read how much they are lifting and then look at their pictures.

Show him what you are made of

+1

 

[shugrblossm]

i do heavy weights...i understand that women cant bulk like men. i do cardio, have a clean diet, i've tried negitives but do you have to used them all throughout the workout? Will working my legs once a week make them bigger n stonger? i'd think at least 2x per week. muscle really only need 48 hrs to recover n grow..he also talked about combination exercises...like a squat and a military press or other combo's. But my legs can squat alot more them i press..i dont feel like im giving my legs enough weight....i cant use a 20 lb weight for all muscle groups. they all take different weights...so i really dont like combination unless im pressed for time which in most casses im not...is combination good?

 

[ironwings]

i do heavy weights...i understand that women cant bulk like men. i do cardio, have a clean diet, i've tried negitives but do you have to used them all throughout the workout? Will working my legs once a week make them bigger n stonger? i'd think at least 2x per week. muscle really only need 48 hrs to recover n grow..he also talked about combination exercises...like a squat and a military press or other combo's. But my legs can squat alot more them i press..i dont feel like im giving my legs enough weight....i cant use a 20 lb weight for all muscle groups. they all take different weights...so i really dont like combination unless im pressed for time which in most casses im not...is combination good?

The combination that you speak of is great for someone starting out and who simply wants to lose weight. You will not gain strength that way - like you said - you can't press as much as you can squat. You can use these however to warm up or for tabatas (cardio intervals). I'd like to get my hands on that trainer - he must write the articles in shelf magazines ;-)