# Personal Trainers?



## ZainTheInsane (Jul 25, 2007)

If someone is looking for a personal trainer, what should they look for? How does one determine whether a personal trainers views and your own match up well enough for an effective team? Is there anyway to assure that a personal trainer is worthy of his or her credentials? How can you tell? What are the best ways to make sure you follow and listen to a personal trainer? How can a person make sure a personal trainer is able to adapt a workout to your body type rather than adapting you to the 'norm'? 

These are just some of the questions I have about personal trainers. Coming up on the end of summer, I realized, and have documented my workouts, and I know they've been random, intermitent, and sadly lacking. The major component I'm lacking...enthusiasm. It isn't that I hate exercise, I actually enjoy a lot of them, and I like trying new things. However, I am a procrastinator, and a slouch. So, I need help motivating myself to workout and I want to find a trainer who would be willing to work with me to find a way to not only help me work out, but improve my ability to workout by myself, and help my self-motivation factor. 

I know I want to be stronger, faster, and healthier. I just don't have the ability to gauge myself, and gradually step things up when needed. Do personal trainers do that? And would I be able to find someone who was willing to work towards that goal, despite the end result being them essentially losing a client?

Oh, and another related, yet unrelated question...

How do I work out my Lats and biceps in a similar way to working out my pectorals and triceps in push-ups? By that I mean, how can I duplicate using my bodyweight for such an activity, without a pull-up bar? Basically, how do I work out the opposites of the muscles worked on during push-ups?

And another question...
How do I work on my obliques and abdominals? I do crunches, reverse crunches, and planks...but I'm wondering if I'm doing them right, and how long/how many I should do. And is there any other exercises which focus on the core muscles well that don't involve machines?

I know, lots of questions, but any answers would be immensely helpful


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## love dubh (Jul 26, 2007)

ZainTheInsane said:


> If someone is looking for a personal trainer, what should they look for? How does one determine whether a personal trainers views and your own match up well enough for an effective team? Is there anyway to assure that a personal trainer is worthy of his or her credentials? How can you tell? What are the best ways to make sure you follow and listen to a personal trainer? How can a person make sure a personal trainer is able to adapt a workout to your body type rather than adapting you to the 'norm'?
> 
> These are just some of the questions I have about personal trainers. Coming up on the end of summer, I realized, and have documented my workouts, and I know they've been random, intermitent, and sadly lacking. The major component I'm lacking...enthusiasm. It isn't that I hate exercise, I actually enjoy a lot of them, and I like trying new things. However, I am a procrastinator, and a slouch. So, I need help motivating myself to workout and I want to find a trainer who would be willing to work with me to find a way to not only help me work out, but improve my ability to workout by myself, and help my self-motivation factor.
> 
> ...



Have you tried "twistys" for the obliques? Get into a position much like the lovechild of the sexy bedroom pose and the fetal position. Essentially, on your back, then stack your legs one on the other, knees bent. Then, crunch. You won't get as much height (depth? whatever) as with a typical crunch, but you should feel the burn. Then for the other oblique, simply switch! There're also bicycle crunches.


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## ZainTheInsane (Jul 26, 2007)

love dubh said:


> Have you tried "twistys" for the obliques? Get into a position much like the lovechild of the sexy bedroom pose and the fetal position. Essentially, on your back, then stack your legs one on the other, knees bent. Then, crunch. You won't get as much height (depth? whatever) as with a typical crunch, but you should feel the burn. Then for the other oblique, simply switch! There're also bicycle crunches.



Sounds like an interesting idea...my only problem is that my bed is too soft, and I don't have mats...so on hardwood floors, covered with a sandpaper like rug, it is really painful to do something which would require so much torso movement against the surface.

I'll definitely try them out though, they sounds similar to something my sister's belly dancing teacher taught to help with the core muscles.


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## love dubh (Jul 29, 2007)

ZainTheInsane said:


> Sounds like an interesting idea...my only problem is that my bed is too soft, and I don't have mats...so on hardwood floors, covered with a sandpaper like rug, it is really painful to do something which would require so much torso movement against the surface.
> 
> I'll definitely try them out though, they sounds similar to something my sister's belly dancing teacher taught to help with the core muscles.



You just need a good towel. Go invest in a nice, thick one!


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## ZainTheInsane (Jul 31, 2007)

love dubh said:


> You just need a good towel. Go invest in a nice, thick one!



I think I will...though I'd much rather borrow yours 






Lame, I know, but you can't smack a guy for trying...well, you can...but...yeah...:blush: 

I'll just leave now.:doh:


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## love dubh (Jul 31, 2007)

I mean, you can borrow it. But it'll be riddled with cooties and womansweat.


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## ZainTheInsane (Jul 31, 2007)

love dubh said:


> I mean, you can borrow it. But it'll be riddled with cooties and womansweat.



If it is your cooties and womansweat I think I can deal with that


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## Rowan (Jul 31, 2007)

Um...yeah...im fat...barking up the wrong tree for answers on that one with me...

sorry babe.


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## ZainTheInsane (Jul 31, 2007)

And I just thought of another thing...would it be possible to get the towel including owner?


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## ZainTheInsane (Jul 31, 2007)

Rowan said:


> Um...yeah...im fat...barking up the wrong tree for answers on that one with me...
> 
> sorry babe.



haha, no worries, I'm just trying to keep myself in good shape...I have a few things I'd like to do that require a lot of strength, speed, agility, and reflexes.


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## Rowan (Aug 1, 2007)

ZainTheInsane said:


> haha, no worries, I'm just trying to keep myself in good shape...I have a few things I'd like to do that require a lot of strength, speed, agility, and reflexes.



Oh do tell *grin*


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