Online Person Trainers / Training Plan Help
Discussion
Greetings powerfully built director folks of PH. I require your advice and collective wisdom.
I started to try and lose weight last August at 84kg. Decided to eat less and move more which seems to have worked as I’m now down to pretty much 72kg however whilst my belly fat is less than before it’s annoyingly still there. Long term aim is to get rid of it and build some muscle at the same time so my overall body composition is improved.
I’m currently halfway through week 10 of a 12 week ‘body transformation’ thing I signed up for during lockdown which ended up being a few pdfs of resistance band workouts on a 4 day split and some videos showing the PT doing each routine very quickly along with some simple nutrition stuff. Things like eating x amount of protein per kg bodyweight etc. I spoke to the PT about how his videos don’t show anything about correct form and just seem to rush through the exercise quickly but he didn’t seem fussed.
I’m left feeling that it wasn’t worth the £250 I paid but I’ve persevered with it regardless. Annoyingly my weight hasn’t dropped but my gut has gotten a few inches smaller. I’ve managed to add on a bit of muscle on my arms and shoulders too.
The last 6 weeks all have a calorie limit of 8 calories per lb of bodyweight, works out at 1280 calories for me which is proving difficult to stick to unless all I eat is grilled chicken in wholemeal wraps and a lot of veg which is what I have been doing for the most part.
He has a ‘phase 2’ plan which is seemingly more of the same at the same price, I won’t be signing up to that. Instead I’m trying to find either a proper PT who can come up with a custom plan for my goals or find some kind of online training programme/app that does the same.
I’m a bit of an idiot so I prefer following videos or tutorials that go through exercises properly so I can ensure that my form is correct. I’ve previously had sciatica and it flared up again during this resistance band one after I tried a deadlift part of a routine.
The only equipment I have to hand currently is a basic barbell and dumbbell set that I purchased in Feb before equipment prices went daft. On the search for some more weights and a bench at a reasonable price though.
Any suggestions on a personal trainer or even an app that I can use?
I started to try and lose weight last August at 84kg. Decided to eat less and move more which seems to have worked as I’m now down to pretty much 72kg however whilst my belly fat is less than before it’s annoyingly still there. Long term aim is to get rid of it and build some muscle at the same time so my overall body composition is improved.
I’m currently halfway through week 10 of a 12 week ‘body transformation’ thing I signed up for during lockdown which ended up being a few pdfs of resistance band workouts on a 4 day split and some videos showing the PT doing each routine very quickly along with some simple nutrition stuff. Things like eating x amount of protein per kg bodyweight etc. I spoke to the PT about how his videos don’t show anything about correct form and just seem to rush through the exercise quickly but he didn’t seem fussed.
I’m left feeling that it wasn’t worth the £250 I paid but I’ve persevered with it regardless. Annoyingly my weight hasn’t dropped but my gut has gotten a few inches smaller. I’ve managed to add on a bit of muscle on my arms and shoulders too.
The last 6 weeks all have a calorie limit of 8 calories per lb of bodyweight, works out at 1280 calories for me which is proving difficult to stick to unless all I eat is grilled chicken in wholemeal wraps and a lot of veg which is what I have been doing for the most part.
He has a ‘phase 2’ plan which is seemingly more of the same at the same price, I won’t be signing up to that. Instead I’m trying to find either a proper PT who can come up with a custom plan for my goals or find some kind of online training programme/app that does the same.
I’m a bit of an idiot so I prefer following videos or tutorials that go through exercises properly so I can ensure that my form is correct. I’ve previously had sciatica and it flared up again during this resistance band one after I tried a deadlift part of a routine.
The only equipment I have to hand currently is a basic barbell and dumbbell set that I purchased in Feb before equipment prices went daft. On the search for some more weights and a bench at a reasonable price though.
Any suggestions on a personal trainer or even an app that I can use?
Hey Giblet,
If you really are after some good coaching because you struggle with form, and you're concerned due to previous (back) pain assosiated with inury, online coaching probably isn't your best bet.
There are a few problems with online coaching, the two main ones are...
1. Out of say 100 online coached, maybe 1 of them are any good. There are so many totally unqualified, unexperienced and incompetent individuals online touting for business as "online coaches"
2. If you do find a good one then most of the time they are based off video feedback on your form and training which is slow and ineffective - what could take a regular coach 2 minutes to fix in a gym might take a week of back and forth with different videos.
I would recommend looking for a well qualified and experienced coach to meet in person who can assess your movement competency and skill level and build a program from there, ideally with regular PT sessions to work on form and training face to face. Or at least building the program after an initial face to face assessment, followed with regualr real time zoom sessions as it least the feedback is instant.
Just my 2p
If you really are after some good coaching because you struggle with form, and you're concerned due to previous (back) pain assosiated with inury, online coaching probably isn't your best bet.
There are a few problems with online coaching, the two main ones are...
1. Out of say 100 online coached, maybe 1 of them are any good. There are so many totally unqualified, unexperienced and incompetent individuals online touting for business as "online coaches"
2. If you do find a good one then most of the time they are based off video feedback on your form and training which is slow and ineffective - what could take a regular coach 2 minutes to fix in a gym might take a week of back and forth with different videos.
I would recommend looking for a well qualified and experienced coach to meet in person who can assess your movement competency and skill level and build a program from there, ideally with regular PT sessions to work on form and training face to face. Or at least building the program after an initial face to face assessment, followed with regualr real time zoom sessions as it least the feedback is instant.
Just my 2p
Like above, it's really hard to find a decent coach. The one you have signed up for sounds quite generic without individual support which isn't really ideal, especially for that price!#
I'd recommend the following people - worth a look on their Instagrams/FB/Websites. Not all are really big businesses but they're really good at what they do and they all do online coaching.
JSA (James Smith Academy) - an app, not sure how much 1-2-1 there is but it's very good and cheap
Biceps and Banter - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
Hybrid Coaching - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
Physique Coaching - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
I don't know the people in the first 3 personally but I do know one of the coaches at Physique Coaching. Apart from JSA, they'll probably offer a consultation to see what you want and talk you through it rather than just giving you something generic.
Good luck!
I'd recommend the following people - worth a look on their Instagrams/FB/Websites. Not all are really big businesses but they're really good at what they do and they all do online coaching.
JSA (James Smith Academy) - an app, not sure how much 1-2-1 there is but it's very good and cheap
Biceps and Banter - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
Hybrid Coaching - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
Physique Coaching - Online 1-2-1 Coaching
I don't know the people in the first 3 personally but I do know one of the coaches at Physique Coaching. Apart from JSA, they'll probably offer a consultation to see what you want and talk you through it rather than just giving you something generic.
Good luck!
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