|
2007/06/20, 08:05 AM
I work at a gym as a personal trainer, and Ive been doing it for over a year now, and I'm very confident in the way I train the girls (its an all girls gym). Last night at work, I had a new trainer shadowing me and observing. I had one client who was brand new, didnt know too much about weight training. I was showing her different ab exercises, and informed her that she could work abs every day, but switch up the exercises that she does. The new trainer obviously disagreed with me, right in front of the member. The new trainer questioned why I would work abs every day. First of all, I was a little ticked that she questioned me right in front of the member and continued to disagree with me until I changed the subject. I was aggravated with her to say the least.
Please...this has been eating at me since last night...who is right?? could abs be worked every day??
|
|
|
|
2007/06/20, 08:08 AM
IT is a muscle group as anyother....would you work legs every day?
--------------
Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack!
I wish everyone would get a partial amnesia and never use 'tone' ever again. (thanks Menance)
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
|
|
2007/06/20, 08:17 AM
Personally my abs recover much quicker than my legs so I can work them 2-3 times a week. I still wouldn't work them everyday though because like anything else they need rest/recovery time also.
|
|
2007/06/20, 08:31 AM
No, I work all other muscle groups on different days, but I'll work abs every day, but concentrate on upper abs one day, obliques the next, lower the next, and mix it up. I learned somewhere, awhile back, that it was okay...guess not.
I'm still ticked that the new trainer questioned me right in front of the member though, that bugs me more than anything, she couldve waited....arg.
|
|
2007/06/20, 08:38 AM
yes that was not cool.....
--------------
Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack!
I wish everyone would get a partial amnesia and never use 'tone' ever again. (thanks Menance)
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
|
|
2007/06/20, 08:48 AM
You don't need to work all the parts seperatly, every day. Upper and lower are the same muscle, obliques you do need to hit.
Every other day or twice a week - that is plenty - you should be recruiting your abs every time you do any other exercise - once you start doing this you will feel them a lot more.
Most of the guys I know who are ripped and have six pack abs rarely work their abs - maybe once a week before a competition, but their abs get worked from squats, deadlifts, bench press, etc.
--------------
While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.
- Ben Franklin
|
|
2007/06/20, 09:21 AM
ok thanks everybody for correcting me. :)
|
|
2007/06/20, 09:59 AM
Lindsay, I would talk to that other trainer who is shadowing you. Just remind her politely that you may not always be right, and it's ok to disagree but she shouldn't do it infront of the members as it makes you look like you don't know what you're doing. If she had talked to you later alone, you could have simply told the member at the next visit that after further consideration you re-thought her routine or something PC like that. Sorry, the manager in me came out just then. ha ha.
For the record, I work abs 3 days a week.
|
|
2007/06/20, 10:36 AM
i couldnt agree more with asimmer..i rarely work abs but i do do squats and bench alot but my abs still sorta show..sometimes i wish they were more defined haha but who doeasnt!?
--------------
\"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.\"
|
|
2007/06/20, 01:00 PM
The more I read all your posts, the more it all makes sense. Thanks.
Amyksmith - I have been thinking hard about how to bring it up to the member that I was wrong (boy i hate being wrong), the "new trainer" ruined it for me. Thats a rule, you just dont call out another trainer while she is training a client.
|
|
2007/06/20, 09:14 PM
let's be honest. how many people push there abs to the same level that they do with other muscle groups? it's much harder to apply heavy weight and work them to total muscular failure. in my experience, most people only work them to the point where they could easily recover by the next day... just my opinion..
|
|
2007/06/21, 07:48 AM
so big j, you're saying you would work abs everyday? i agree with you, not many people work them like they do their arms and legs, just do a little bit at a time.
|
|
2007/06/21, 08:44 AM
big_j let me be honest.....most people are utter idiots when it comes to proper training....ignorance does not begin to describe 99% of people at the gym....just because you see people doing stupid crap doesnt mean there's a justification for doing more dumb crap to perpetuate the stupidity....endless crunches, leg raises, twists and so forth.....or better yet same scheme forever....why not add resistance/complexity?
Training abs everyday is counterproductive. Few sets are fine most days as a warm up or for general calisthenics....however proper core/trunk training should not take daily....no more than you should squat every day....unless there's a specific reason.....greasing the groove can only be taken so far....
From personal observations most trainers dont have a clue how to train. Most women train way too light and with garbage exercise selection.
Asimmer is right on. Your abs get plenty of direct stimulation from big compound exercises. The rest can be done with few key heavy core exercises. No need to obsess over abs. Nothing more retarded then seeing the same people daily doing bicep curls and crunches....with occassional bench...
almost wish CSCS was a standard for all trainers......
lindsay I have to say that despite agreeing with the other trainer, it was completely disrespectful of her to put you on the spot like that. Unless the trainee was in immediate danger.....there was no justification for what she did.....a talk with the other trainer is in order....
|
|
2007/06/21, 08:44 AM
lyeah big j your prolly right...i juss dont have the motivation ever to do abs lol .. i would prolly do them everyday thoughh if i did have the motivation!!
--------------
\"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.\"
|
|
2007/06/22, 03:01 PM
Hey Lindsay, tell me to mind my own beeswax but I'm a big believer in just being honest. One of the main causes of stress and conflict in inter-personal relationships is the win/lose mentality we all seem to have! We're afraid of 'losing' so we can be a little aggressive.
My advice (for what it's worth) would be to take your colleague to one side and talk to her. You need to be really clear in your own mind why you were ticked off. What did her action make you feel? When you know, it's easier to be honest with yourself and her. You might say something like...
"Hey you know that thing with the abs? I did some looking into it and you were right, I really appreciate you helping me learn something new. Can I ask you to do something for me? When you mentioned it in front of the client I felt really undermined and humiliated and that made me pretty angry. I really want to learn from each other, but could I ask you to keep that kind of conversation private between us? That's great, thanks. So what plans do you have for the weekend?"
Or words to that effect.
The formula is to identify specifically what happened, how it made you feel, and what you'd like to be different. Then communicate it honestly. Don't expect or act like you expect an answer or it devolves into a debate rather than a request (that's why there's a subject change at the end.
Ok, shutting up now.
Jon
============
Quoting from lindsay22:
I have been thinking hard about how to bring it up to the member that I was wrong (boy i hate being wrong), the "new trainer" ruined it for me. Thats a rule, you just dont call out another trainer while she is training a client.
=============
|
|
2007/06/22, 04:09 PM
I do the big lifts as mentioned and I also do core worke 3 days a week.
1 day is 3 sets of weighted crunches followed by 3 sets of Planks or Iso Abs whatever you what to call them.
1 day is 3 sets of weighted Obliques followed by 3 sets of weighted Twisted Obliques.
1 day I do 3 sets of an ab hip Flexor exersize.
My goals are to hit Abs and Transverses 1 day, Obliques another and Hip Flexors but Abs will get hit on these moves too.
I need to do this for I have a bulging disc in my lumbar and Flexors, Transverses and Obliques are far more important.
Doing it like this also prevents spending too much time on core so I can use the time on my lifts, my lifts come 1st then I do core after I'm totally fatigued!
Believe it of not but by implementing Hip Flexor work into my regime I was able to add more weight to my Squats, Deadlifts and ummm shhhh ok I'll say it more plates to my Leg Presses!
Back protection dose not come from crunches it's the Obliques and Transverses but it your abs are week this isn't good either.
Yeah there is no lower and mid and upper abs it's 1 muscle and when people say they are hitting lower abs I'm thinking Hip Flexor work!
--------------
Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
|
|
2007/06/24, 10:58 AM
jon that's great advice...I would say something to that effect also....some1 has been watching doctor phil....lol...jk...
|
|
2007/06/24, 02:22 PM
LOL Leo! You are so funny guy. But Jon, it sounded exactly like a script from Dr. Phil..LOL, not that I would know that ofcourse. *cough*cough*
--------------
Bettia
You Get What You Train For!
- Unknown
|
|
2007/06/24, 02:52 PM
Who's Dr Phil?
If the advice came from anywhere it's from my general philosophy of personal integrity and harmony with those around you.
Sounds like I'd like Dr Phil! :big_smile:
|
