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2007/10/26, 12:27 AM
Hi everyone! I'm a newly certified trainer and I could use some advice. I took on a client about 5 weeks ago, and even though we're doing everything right, she hasn't lost a single pound. I'm aware that muscle weighs more than fat, and I do have her doing a moderate strength training program(3 days a week), but I don't think that she's gaining the same amount of muscle as lost fat. She's been doing cardio for three days a week, at about 30 minutes a shot. Her heart rate is just where it needs to be. Also I've calculated her base metabolic rate, and she's eating a very sensible diet. By my calculations, she's creating a 500-600 calorie a day deficit. This should mean at least a pound a week of healthy weight loss.
I have applied the same principles to myself, and gotten way better than average results. I'm very into educating myself, so what am I missing here?
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2007/10/26, 12:14 PM
Hard to say without seeing your client. One thing I don't recommend is a linear diet, they lead to stagnation way to quick. Have her get a bit more calories at least once a week (preferably a work out day) and a higher carbohydrate intake on training days as opposed to non training days.
Also, one common thing trainers do is they don't pay attention to nutrient timing. You can tell your client to get 2000 calories, but unless you are there watching them, then it's tough to make sure they are eating breakfast, eating often, etc.
I'm also confused by "her heart rate is just where it needs to be". If you are using one of those chart things that tells people their "target heart rate" (do people still use those?) then throw it out. Without a full VO2 analysis, I'm unsure of how anyone can predict an ideal heart rate. Besides that, the word ideal is very ambiguous. I would, in almost all cases, recommend intervals over steady state, in which case her heart rate would be all over the place.
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SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde
Mortal by birth.
Strongman by the grace of god.
Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
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2007/10/26, 02:06 PM
Her heart rate is around the 150-170 range(she's 25 years old), and so far as I can tell she is getting a balanced calorie and carb intake. She eats three regular meals a day, and has a couple of small snacks throughout the day. It's the weirdest thing. Her cardio consists of about 15 minutes of steady jogging, and a few rest periods of power walking. I've seen wonderful progress on the exercise side of things, but the weight just wont come down. The worst part is that the same principles of diet and exercise have worked for anyone else that I've trained with. What am I missing here?
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Quoting from wrestler125:
Hard to say without seeing your client. One thing I don't recommend is a linear diet, they lead to stagnation way to quick. Have her get a bit more calories at least once a week (preferably a work out day) and a higher carbohydrate intake on training days as opposed to non training days.
Also, one common thing trainers do is they don't pay attention to nutrient timing. You can tell your client to get 2000 calories, but unless you are there watching them, then it's tough to make sure they are eating breakfast, eating often, etc.
I'm also confused by "her heart rate is just where it needs to be". If you are using one of those chart things that tells people their "target heart rate" (do people still use those?) then throw it out. Without a full VO2 analysis, I'm unsure of how anyone can predict an ideal heart rate. Besides that, the word ideal is very ambiguous. I would, in almost all cases, recommend intervals over steady state, in which case her heart rate would be all over the place.
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2007/10/26, 04:11 PM
I think you're missing everything I just said. You confirmed that she is on a linear diet, and doing steady state cardio. And as for your balanced diet, I don't see a balanced diet as being the best diet, this is a health class myth.
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SQUAT MORE ~Jesse Marunde
Mortal by birth.
Strongman by the grace of god.
Blood Guts Sweat Chalk
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2007/10/29, 11:57 AM
Can you clarify what you mean by "wonderful progress on the exercise side of things?" Improvements in cardiovascular fitness can happen without any muscle gains, and it doesn't always translate into fat loss. Have to taken any body comp. measurements? hip/waist raitos? Skin fold measurements? I question a 600 cal. a day deficit, too. That just seems to be pushing the realm a little too hard. Her body might be metabolically clinging to fat deposts as a result. Hard to say.
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\"We must be the change we wish to see in the world\" - Ghandi
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2007/10/31, 12:28 AM
What I meant was that she has been steadily improving with both the cardio and weight training sides. I've done skin folds and hip and waist ratios also. Her body fat is right around 28%(there is always that window of error). I don't think that a 500-600 calorie deficit is unreasonable. It would be safe to say that when she dose her cardio that she is burning around 300 calories(she's 6'1, 185 lbs, 25 years old) and the fact that she keeps the calories around 1800 per day, and her calories are only running between 20-25% from fat. Her resting metabolic rate alone should be near 1800. Also take into consideration that just going to work has to burn at least another 100-200 calories throughout the day.
Am I really pushing too hard? Technically a 500-600 calorie deficit should be around a pound a week of weight loss. I've trained other people by these same principles with really good results. One guy dropped 17 pounds of fat(it's still off) in less than ten weeks. This wasn't water weight, I mean permanent weight loss here. Plus his gym game has come along tremendously as well.
This is the first time I've been faced with this. I feel like I'm not providing my client with the service she deserves. I'm going to try mixing her cardio up a bit, and see what happens.
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