Personal Trainers

[not2bright]

I've been a lurker for a while here, but I thought it was time to contribute.

I used to be skinny. Very skinny. But I finally decided to do something about it and hired a personal trainer. That was 18 months ago, and I've had four trainers in that time (and I've also gained around 60 pounds myself).

Not only did I find it motivational and inspirational to work out with someone who was bigger and stronger than me (which isn't very difficult), I was also happy to discover that all of them were more than willing to pose and flex after a compliment or question about body mechanics. And since most of them were also working towards a goal of becoming bigger themselves, I was often asked to take progress pictures. It's hard to describe what it's like to watch a future bodybuilder strip down in front of you and pose, but it's truly amazing.

I ended up becoming best friends with one of my former trainers, and he introduced me to a number of his friends and co-workers who were also into fitness and/or bodybuilding. I've been lucky enough to be present when several of them have asked for input, advice and the occasional measurement-taking.

I'll elaborate on my experiences, if desired.

But in summary, I'll say that hiring a personal trainer is not only a good investment in yourself, but could also expose you to a lot of inspiration and motivation in the form of watching them grow and advance right before your eyes.

[arpeejay]

Wonderful post, babe! The only thing you forgot to do was include before and after pix of YOU! (Oh, yeah, stats would be nice, too!) :-)

Lookin' forward to updates!

xoxo

Richard

[ottomun6]

Yes, I'll second that motion. We would love to see what you look like before and after, 60 lbs is a lot of beef! Tell us what it was like to get bigger.
Plus, we would also like to hear more about the experiences you had. And this is the place to do it bud!

[James35]

Welcome to the board! Congrats on your great progress - it's takes a lot of dedication to put on that amount of mass, especially if you're like most skinny guys and have a hard time gaining.
I had a similar experience that you did, though I haven' t been asked to do any progress pics (unfortunately). It was through working with personal trainers that really got me into bodybuilding and I've met a lot of my bodybuilder friends through the different personal trainers. This can be a great way to get to know other bodybuilders especially if you're not that good at just walking up to someone and starting a conversation cold.
Hope to hear more from ya!

[claygrant]

James, and others who have met bodybuilders through personal trainers - what are your experiences with their attitudes towards gays? For those of you who are gay and have had personal trainers, did it become an issue? I've considered getting a personal trainer (once I get over the ridiculous cost of one), but haven't yet.

[not2bright]

Thanks for the responses, guys!

So I guess my story starts in the fall of 2002. I was working way too many hours, I was walking to work on most days (1.5 miles each way), I was inline skating about 20 miles a week, and I was working out almost every day. But my diet was horrible. I was only taking in between 400-900 calories a day. But I had plenty of energy, and felt okay, so I didn't think much of it.

Then I went to visit an old roommate at Thanksgiving who hadn't seen me in a few years. She almost burst into tears at the sight of me. She said that I was "way too skinny." and thought I had cancer or something.

Then on the flight home from that trip, which was from one coast to the other, I hadn't eaten much beforehand (as per usual), and when I got up to use the bathroom somewhere over Denver, I passed out cold in front of 125 people. The flight attendants laid me out on the floor in the galley at the back of the plane and put an oxygen mask on me. They asked if there was any doctor was on board, and three came running back. I was fine within a few minutes, and more embarrassed than anything else. They surmised that I was just malnourished and dehydrated. But that was my "wake up" call.

January 2 of 2003 was my first day with my first trainer. He said that for 5'11" and 135 pounds, I was considerably underweight (no duh). He had one word for me: EAT. And I did. But that was the hardest part. I was already working out almost every day (sometimes twice a day), mostly to combat stress, so going to the gym wasn't a problem for me. But increasing my caloric intake from 400-900 calories a day to about 3,500 was HARD! I got sick so many times, because my body just couldn't handle all that food.

My first trainer also told me that I couldn't work out every day, as he was concerned that I'd be burning more calories then I was taking in. But despite his advice, I found myself pretty much addicted to the "release" I for from lifting, so I just memorized his schedule and went in at times that he wasn't there. I got "caught" a few times (he didn't buy my "stunt double" story), so I got a little more creative and started going to different locations of the same gym chain.

Now, as far as pictures go, I have two problems: 1) I'm very shy, and 2) I don't have any from when I was just starting out. My trainer begged me to let him take some, but I wanted to move forward and not dwell on the past. But here are my stats starting out on January 1, 2003:
Weight: 135
Height: 5'11"
Chest: 38
Waist: 32
Thighs: 16
Arms: 11 (he told me to flex when he was taking the measurement. I said that I was. Uncomfortable silence followed.)

Their computer predicted that I could expect to gain a pound a week. But by mid-March, I had surpassed 25 pounds, so my trainer said that he would "lay off" about me coming in to lift so often, as long as I kept going up in weight.

So now, as they say in "Starship Troopers" -- Would you like to hear more?

[powerdude]

Cool, tell us more. I think you have some great genetics hidden in there somewhere. That is a lot of weight to put on so fast. Good for you. Bigger is better.

[arpeejay]

Originally Posted by not2bright

Thanks for the responses, guys!



Their computer predicted that I could expect to gain a pound a week. But by mid-March, I had surpassed 25 pounds, so my trainer said that he would "lay off" about me coming in to lift so often, as long as I kept going up in weight.

So now, as they say in "Starship Troopers" -- Would you like to hear more?

Well, der! Of course we do! What are your stats now?

As for James:

Yes, we want to see progress pix! And it's not exactly like your profile has a lot of information in it! Fill us in, gosh dang darn it!

:-)

Ciao / smoochies...

arpeejay = rpj = Richard

[lindner6]

Being an ectomorph, gaining weight is hard. I have been thinking about hiring a personal trainer, but I already know most of what they do. With you sharing your experiences is helping me see what value there may be, and how to select a personal trainer. Please also share how you upped your food intake.

[ottomun6]

Yes we would like to hear more, Not2bright.
But I hope you understand the main reason why people ask for pics. Its probably the strongest persuasive device on the planet to get someone who is hedging on the idea of training to make a move.
Many of us think we can't go from skinny to beefy, but a before and after shot can change some guy's life. If they see another guy in the same boat do it, a lightbulb turns on and they realize they can too.
As far as being "shy", just remember that it is as simple as asking for help to disguise your identity, pics can be edited very easily. there are some guys here that are talented enough to hide other identifying features in the background if nescessary. (it dosen't have to be a pic WHEN you started, it can be a holiday pic)If you want to run an idea past someone before posting, e-mail me or one of the guys. You have probably figured out that we like helping out.

And you are right about not dwelling on the past, but its not like someone is going to remind you every morning of your old body, its more of a testament of your accomplishment.
Be proud. And give a gift to the next guy by showing him what is possible with determination. Ok?

[arpeejay]

Originally Posted by ottomun6

But I hope you understand the main reason why people ask for pics. Its probably the strongest persuasive device on the planet to get someone who is hedging on the idea of training to make a move.

Naaah, that's not it. The main reason is that lookin' at 'em gives me a, uh, well, uh, you KNOW! And it's all about me.

Isn't it?

xoxo

Richard

[built_spill]

I second or third the call for more details/pics. I'm on the fence about training myself.

[buffdoc]

I think a personal trainer can be a good idea especially if you are intimidated working out in gym when you first start out. That being said if you read a couple of fitness books and ask intelligent questions online you can learn a lot without paying a fortune. Being an ectomorph myself, 60 pounds in 18 months is rather amazing--in fact it is roughly 3 1/3 pounds a month which really is alot. The guy either started out super underweight, has outstanding genetics, or juiced once or twice during that time period. In any case, it would take a lot of hard work in the gym and proper nutrition to get such a result, so congrats.

[brent]

At first I was afraid of posting anything that you could easily find me from. Then I decided, who in this city would care? Why should I care? That's me, and not you; you may have good reasons. It's easy to crop out your head, put a block of color in front of a body part, or blur a background. I want to second Otto's point, and encourage you to post before & after pics. I really think they help people.

[mslworshipper]

I need a personal trainer like you have who can help me get bigger and/or defined and if I do the workout (and survive ) then he can reward me with some flexing. However, how do you get someone like that and not pay a lot of $$$ That is my dilemma. If anyone knows someone in the Charlotte, NC area, I am willing to call. Thank

My other problem is when I do see big guys, I sometimes have the complete opposite... I lose motivation because I feel I can't be like them... That will be in another thread.

[brent]

I'm glad that not2bright had great success with a trainer, but many are under-trained jerks. I'd suggest buying 1 or 2 sessions, to see if you are getting much from them before you commit to one person. Also, mslworshipper, if you can't afford a trainer, what about looking for a good partner at Craig's List ?

[not2bright]

Thanks for the responses, guys!

So here are my current stats:
Weight: 197 (as of last month, now I'm cutting, so I'm down about ten pounds)
Height: Still 5'11" (lousy trainers!)
Chest: 42
Waist: 33
Thighs: 22
Arms: 14

Like I said, I don't really have any pics from when I was starting out. I don't even think I have any casual pics! I was living very far away from my family, and didn't know anyone outside my office, so I wasn't exposed to any cameras. I do have some that were taken by my trainer about half-way through my gaining mission, so maybe I can scrounge those up if y'all are interested.

There's a few posts in this thread that I need to respond to, but before I do that, here's a question: Do you want me to "tell the story" of how I made my gains, or just stop here? I started with the "story" approach, and I'm actually having a little fun writing it and talking about my experiences with my trainers (including gathering the courage to ask for an occasional "flex of inspiration"), but I realize that this isn't the "story" forum.

So, as I left off before, "Would you like to know more?"

[omelissokomos]

Originally Posted by not2bright

Height: Still 5'11" (lousy trainers!)

LOL. That was a good one. Fire the bums.

Originally Posted by not2bright

So, as I left off before, "Would you like to know more?"

Hell yeah.

[ethernet_jock]

n2b - a 3" gain in your biceps and a 4" gain in your chest in less than two years is something to be VERY VERY proud of!! No doubt that those PT's are really paying off for you, those must be some very impressive defined and super-hard biceps.

Particularly if you think about it in terms of % of growth over time, adding 3" to an 11" base is a much larger ratio of growth than adding 3" to a 16" base. Totally awesome. 14" doesn't sound big when you compare it to some of the huge guys on this board, but I bet it looks REALLY impressive on your frame. I would also venture to guess that it means you're pretty damn strong too. I've seen some guys at the gym before who looked to have pretty small arms, altho very well defined, who could easily curl 50% more weight than me. Total size can often be misleading, but your ratio of very impressive growth... there is no denying.

Very cool.... I bet you could be a personal trainer yourself with all your experience and success over the last 2 years. I would love to hear more.

[ottomun6]

Originally Posted by not2bright

..I do have some that were taken by my trainer about half-way through my gaining mission, so maybe I can scrounge those up if y'all are interested...
There's a few posts in this thread that I need to respond to, but before I do that, here's a question: Do you want me to "tell the story" of how I made my gains, or just stop here? So, as I left off before, "Would you like to know more?"

Dude, that's the magic of these forums. You can do both !
You can respond to the other posts and still squeeze in your experiences when YOU want to. And there's no teacher to give you a C- for being late
So the answer is yes to all of the above.

[brent]

Originally Posted by ethernet_jock

... when you compare it to some of the huge guys on this board, but I bet it looks REALLY impressive on your frame. ...

I'm sure it is impressive, but I think the more important point is comparing yourself to yourself. It's making constant progress over time. Who cares about other members? This is not2bright's thread, and with that: yes I want to hear more!

[not2bright]

Originally Posted by claygrant

James, and others who have met bodybuilders through personal trainers - what are your experiences with their attitudes towards gays? For those of you who are gay and have had personal trainers, did it become an issue? I've considered getting a personal trainer (once I get over the ridiculous cost of one), but haven't yet.

For the trainers I had, the issue never really came up. But since they were all very professional, I doubt it would have had much of an impact.

For me specifically, I wanted their services (and they wanted my money), so I guess I really didn't give it much thought!

Good question, though.

[James35]

If you are considering personal trainers, the great thing about them is you can work with them as long as you like, and stop whenever you feel like it, generally anyway. They are not cheap, but before signing up, you should always get 2-3 free sessions to see if you get along with their style (or they correctly adapt to yours) and you have a good experience. Then you should commit for a small number of sessions (they will probably offer you something like a 5, 10, 20, 50 etc session package) Pick the smallest one (although it will be more per session) and try it. If it works well, then sign up for a bigger block of sessions (to save a little $$).
I have worked with 3 different PTs over the past 4 years and was able to judge in just the first few sessions whether it was going to be worth it. Once it was not; the other two times I worked out regularly with a trainer, I could tell he was going to help me tremendously almost right away. I made noticeable progress in only about 2-3 weeks, so I knew it was worth it.
It is hard to pick a good trainer; I just accidentally stumbled across both of the good trainers I worked out with. If you see a trainer working people out in your gym, check out the clients - do they seem to be making good progress? Or speak to the clients - do they like their trainer? Get good workouts? Get instructions on what to do outside the time they spend with the trainer directly (diet, cardio, other times of weight training)? Check for certification; the ones I knew had their's from ACE, but I don't really know if other organizations are as good or better or what.
So I'll always compliment the trainers I worked with that really helped me to get going with my program, but there wasnt a magic secret to finding a good trainer. You may have to try a few before you find that one that really helps you break out!