EDIT - Found a book for weight training for swimmers. Will have a look at that and take it from there (and try and work out how to approach Stan without upsetting him!).

Pingu wrote:EDIT - Found a book for weight training for swimmers. Will have a look at that and take it from there (and try and work out how to approach Stan without upsetting him!).

Give him a quick flash of your laydee bits then tell him is programme is pure pish.

cleaver wrote:

Pingu wrote:EDIT - Found a book for weight training for swimmers. Will have a look at that and take it from there (and try and work out how to approach Stan without upsetting him!).

Give him a quick flash of your laydee bits then tell him is programme is pure pish.

My laydee bits aren't big enough to make up for telling him that Cleaver!

Well that wasn't entirely successful (perhaps I should have done what Cleaver said! )

I went armed with my list of muscles used in swimming and did some apologising for my lack of clarity about goals etc. Asked him to go through the muscles list with me to make sure everything was covered and wondered whether compounds would be better. Went through the list and have changed two things - added DB rear delts and shrugs for my traps.

I asked about the split, asked whether a fully body approach would be better and he said he thought it would be better keeping it this way.

I don't think it's about Stan, I think it's mainly me because I'm not knowledgeable enough to put my point across!

He sounds like a blinkered body builder to me. The guy at my old gym was the same. Even noobs got put on the same 4 day split as him full of isolation exercises and hardly any compounds. Very few progressed far with this.

I'd say just follow that for a bit staying in his good books and gettin him to learn you how to do all the compounds...Deadlifts, bent over rows etc etc.

In a month or two when you have a good solid base of knowlesge then throw his sh!te program in the bin and do something that is suited to a swimmer.

Only think is..if his programs are as crap as that then how well he will teach you the form of the exercises is questionable. Theres a right big bodybuilder PT fella at my gym that was training a lady and had her doing squats. She was using the worst form i have EVER seen and he was like "good..keep going". Tit! I couldnt believe it.

Where do you live Pingu?

Rab wrote:I'd say just follow that for a bit staying in his good books and gettin him to learn you how to do all the compounds...Deadlifts, bent over rows etc etc.

In a month or two when you have a good solid base of knowlesge then throw his sh!te program in the bin and do something that is suited to a swimmer.

Only think is..if his programs are as crap as that then how well he will teach you the form of the exercises is questionable. Theres a right big bodybuilder PT fella at my gym that was training a lady and had her doing squats. She was using the worst form i have EVER seen and he was like "good..keep going". Tit! I couldnt believe it.

Where do you live Pingu?

Trouble is I like Stan, and I feel bad! I'm just surprised that you all think his programme is so bad because he has won some really big titles and got quite a lot of others to as well, so I am a tad perplexed. He does explain form really well, and always helps if I ask.

I wondered if the exercises on here showed good form?

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I live in Barrow in Furness, west coast of Cumbria.

Thats a good website aye. Its one thing watching clips and another doing it though. You usually need a little help to get it right first time, else its trial and error on yout todd. learning how to keep the proper shape in your back is the main bit

Rab wrote:Thats a good website aye. Its one thing watching clips and another doing it though. You usually need a little help to get it right first time, else its trial and error on yout todd. learning how to keep the proper shape in your back is the main bit

I do always really focus on keeping my back in the proper shape, that's the bit I think about most given I used to get lower back problems.

Pingu wrote:

Rab wrote:Thats a good website aye. Its one thing watching clips and another doing it though. You usually need a little help to get it right first time, else its trial and error on yout todd. learning how to keep the proper shape in your back is the main bit

Yeah, I know. I definitely need help being shown it!! Just wish there was one of you guys nearby I could nab for a day then I would be sorted!

I do always really focus on keeping my back in the proper shape, that's the bit I think about most given I used to get lower back problems.

I'm really miffed now *sigh*

Is Wardie not in that area?

First off Pingu there is no reason to be miffed, this is a learning curve and the start is never that simple.

Secondly if you are paying someone to help you then help you they should and explain their reasoning behind a programme.

Thirdly, it will take time to build up your strength, particularly in your left arm before you can do things like deadlifts. I don't know if you can fully extend the arm(?) So maybe he is gearing the programme at rehab.

Regardless of his reasoning he should be willing to take the time and explain things and exercises to you. He could be the nicest person in the world but if he is not willing to answer your questions then you must ask yourself if he is the best trainer for you.

Learn the forms and lifts and then you can work out a programme of your own.

cleaver wrote:Is Wardie not in that area?

It says Cumbria... think he would mind if I PM'd him?

GymBunny wrote:First off Pingu there is no reason to be miffed, this is a learning curve and the start is never that simple.

Secondly if you are paying someone to help you then help you they should and explain their reasoning behind a programme.

Thirdly, it will take time to build up your strength, particularly in your left arm before you can do things like deadlifts. I don't know if you can fully extend the arm(?) So maybe he is gearing the programme at rehab.

Regardless of his reasoning he should be willing to take the time and explain things and exercises to you. He could be the nicest person in the world but if he is not willing to answer your questions then you must ask yourself if he is the best trainer for you.

Learn the forms and lifts and then you can work out a programme of your own.

I think part of it is I'm just rubbish at asking things when I don't know how to approach the situation! He does always take the time if I talk to him so I think it is more about me than him!

I'm sure wardie wouldnt mind helping ou out for a session

You should say to the trainer..."I was reading about how the legs and back account for 2/3rds of the entire body's muscle mass..probably more so on me as i'm a swimmer. so how come im doing all that in the one day plus biceps and less that 1/3 on the other?

...Since you are a swimmer you want to be focusing a lot on back and legs chest and delts......it should blatanlty be split back & delts, Legs & chest...or a full body...or a push pull. his split coulnt be any WORSE infact lol

The guys a stuck his ways single track minded old fool...but not an easy one for you!