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You probably need to be more specific about your end goal. Is it to lift a particular amount, run a marathon, climb a certain route etc? There are usually speci

by joshvm 6y ago

You probably need to be more specific about your end goal. Is it to lift a particular amount, run a marathon, climb a certain route etc? There are usually specific trainers for certain skills, just like in video games :) If I wanted to get better at bouldering, I'd book a 1 on 1 at my climbing wall, not a generic trainer at the local gym (but maybe I would after advice from the climbing coach). For generic "get fit" goals, stretch every day and some amount of cardio/resistance training three times a week is hard to get wrong. The important thing is to read your body and don't push your luck. Also, to stop when you lose good form. There is a lot of overwhelming information, but a lot of it is conflicting and anecdotal. You yourself point out - should you go for growth? 5 days on? 7 days on?? You can find information online to support pretty much any theory you like (particularly about training frequency).

fudged71 6y ago
I agree there's a lot of conflicting information and that specificity is key. But it can also be useful to have a guide for when you change goals, someone who knows your history and preferences etc. Body composition changes typically go through multiple different phases and cycles. It might seem like you'd want someone specific for each phase, yet some consistency is helpful across phases too. As an analogy, you wouldn't want to change universities for each year of your degree
- joshvm 6y ago
  I was trying to allude to this a bit, but maybe it didn't come across clearly. I was thinking more about how you approach getting help to achieve a goal. And probably a good way forward is a mixture of occasional 1-on-1 sessions with experts in your chosen activity, followed up with more regular sessions with a general trainer who can help you achieve what the expert says you need to improve. For example, specialist advice can range from very specific technique improvements, to more general comments like "technique is good, but you need better core strength" at which point a personal trainer might be a good call.

by joshvm 6y ago

fudged71 6y ago

I agree there's a lot of conflicting information and that specificity is key. But it can also be useful to have a guide for when you change goals, someone who knows your history and preferences etc. Body composition changes typically go through multiple different phases and cycles. It might seem like you'd want someone specific for each phase, yet some consistency is helpful across phases too. As an analogy, you wouldn't want to change universities for each year of your degree

joshvm 6y ago
I was trying to allude to this a bit, but maybe it didn't come across clearly. I was thinking more about how you approach getting help to achieve a goal. And probably a good way forward is a mixture of occasional 1-on-1 sessions with experts in your chosen activity, followed up with more regular sessions with a general trainer who can help you achieve what the expert says you need to improve. For example, specialist advice can range from very specific technique improvements, to more general comments like "technique is good, but you need better core strength" at which point a personal trainer might be a good call.