[Daimere]

So I decided to join a gym. It comes with 1 "free personal training session." Really it was a "let me sell this to you" sort of session. As much as I would looooove to be able to spend the money for personal training, I can't.

I know stuff about weight loss, fitness, etc. I know strength workouts are great for weight loss. I know muscle burns more fat. I don't need to be told that anymore. I felt like they kept talking to me like I didn't know anything about fitness/weight loss. I'm sure it's habit. I don't know. It was frustrating a bit. During the session, he asked what I did when I lost 80 pounds before. I did WATP and PUSH dvds (http://www.youtube.com/user/PUSHdotTV) and turbo sculpt at home. He said that wasn't strength training, that was circut training which they don't encourage. He said they prefered 3 day splits, and blah blah blah. I've always prefered total body workouts when doing strength. I've never utilized the free weights at a gym before.

Now, I found the book New Rules of Lifting for Women at half priced books. Could I use that for my strength? I'd be working by myself. I don't have any friends or anything to exercise with. I can't do a push up or anything like that. I mainly wanted to join to utilize the track and pool. Lately I've been doing barre type workouts for strength at home.

[NemesisClaws]

I recommend trying it your way first, because ultimately you are the one who will be doing this, not your trainer. If you're not getting any results, then I would see about trying it your trainer's way.

[EagleRiverDee]

NROLFW is a great book, I think you'd do just fine working out on your own. I don't know what his beef is with circuit training. He's thinking like a body builder, it sounds like, and not someone who wants functional strength.

[Daimere]

I don't know what his beef is with circuit training. He's thinking like a body builder, it sounds like, and not someone who wants functional strength.

I thought circuit training was more like 30DS and stuff. I never liked those sort of workouts. I've never really read any articles or such that dismissed circuits. It's funny. I've been flipping through the book and they say no bicep curls. He had me do a few different versions. We only used dumbells and stuff. I'm kind of nervous about using barbels and such.

[zoesmom]

FWIW, Boby By You or even You Are Your Own Gym are another good ones for strength. New Rules For Lifting rocks, it really does. I love it (all three really.)

Circuit Training and HIIT have been proven to be beneficial, he is trying to get you to focus on muscle building, which I guess is fine given he is a personal trainer, but really, he needs to back off about the don't encourage it...because really, most experts encourage you to do anything you will do, and Circuit and HIIT tend to be thinks most people go towards due to the high calories and low sculpting in short time.

I think you'll love NRFLFW. I love it...I used to think 10 pound weights were heavy. Now, if it is less than 20, I feel it is a joke. And I really do recommend BBY or YAYOG as well. You said you can't do a single push up...those two books are about body lifting (which is more hard than I ever realized) and by the end, you'll be doing some pushups! I just started one and I was only able to do 35 at first. A little over a week in and I am able to do 60 now. It builds crazy strength, crazy quick.

[Daimere]

I was noticing on MFP they all love strong lifts program better since after stage 1, it gets very fiddly and time consuming on NRFL. I am trying to understand it's just a sales pitch. But I think if he and the guy from yesterday kept saying things like, "why have you decided to start a fitness program?" I kept telling them I've been hooping for 3 years and I've already lost 20 pounds in a month or so. I really just wanted to join the gym to cross train, variety, and maybe train for couch to 5k. I think I'm just going to hang out a bit, watch people around the gym for a bit and then make my decision to start a "real" lifting program. What I was doing years ago was working. So why is it so bad? At least I was trying to go heavier than 3 lb pink weights even then!

[Chardonnay]

My problem with personal trainers is that they think they know more than their clients. We are the ones doing the exercises and feeling the effects (or not), not them. I had one guy who put me through a bootcamp type of program when I was at my heaviest, but he was completely uninformed about what happens to a body during depression and anxiety, how weak the muscles and tendons get...anyway, one torn rotator cuff in 2005 and I've never gone near a personal trainer again. That was just my own experience, and I'm kind of old school when it comes to weight training, I like dumbbells, squats and bench presses. I've done it my way and lost 77 pounds with little injury because I took things slowly. Real life isn't a Biggest Loser show is it? Lol...I don't know the book you've mentioned, but if you feel comfortable with the workout, and after 3-6 weeks, you feel better and lose some inches...that's what you should do right?