That was also my impression of trainers at the LA Fitness I used to go to and the Gold's I go to now. I think the biggest thing I see that irks me is just how uninterested all the trainers seem to be in their clients. For example, just today I saw a trainer with a big fat dude taking him through various machines and dumbbell exercises. The trainer would very briefly demonstrate the exercise, tell the guy how many sets/reps to do and at what weight, then whip out his phone and fiddle on that for the next several minutes while his client worked out. At most he would occasionally glance up and ask something like "Was that 12 reps?" I've seen trainers standing around talking to each other while their clients are sitting and waiting, having finished an exercise and not knowing what to do next. It's ridiculous, and these poor saps are paying top dollar for that shit.The LA fitness trainers are nothing more than desk monkeys in different shirts that walk around with you. One of my friends got hired as one and he has literally no qualifications. There might be trainers at other gyms that are actually helpful.
Current gym has weights, etc. The problem is that I trade work out days with my wife as one of us has to watch the dog. So I am trying to find something at home I can do as waking up early has never worked out for me.I'm assuming your current "gym" membership is more like a dojo and not an actual gym with weights and such?
You could do resistance bands, they don't take much space and would accomplish what you're looking for.
What? Do you spend 7 frigan hours at the gym? Dogs are fine alone for the amount of time you'd both spend at the gym.Current gym has weights, etc. The problem is that I trade work out days with my wife as one of us has to watch the dog. So I am trying to find something at home I can do as waking up early has never worked out for me.
Reddit's Bodyweight Fitness CommunityThis may be more for Arkk's thread, but has anyone had any success building strength with a body weight routine? I would like to add some strength training to my activities but my house isn't large enough for a bench set and I don't want to get a new gym membership as I already have one that is fairly expensive. I don't care about building muscle so much. I mainly want to even out the strength in my left vs. right side upper body. I feel like I am strong enough on my right side, but left side doing dumbbell bench, press, etc. I am noticeably behind.
I may be able to make a smallish incline bench and modular (/)dumbbell set work, but I have to run that by the wife.
Absolutely! However, what I was trying to address in my post was that it IS super hard. It's much easier to put 5lbs extra on a barbell every week and then a year later you're strong as fuck. Compared to learning how to progress from a knees-down pushup to a full planche.At the top end body weight stuff is pretty impressive. If you can do pistol squats, muscle ups, hand stand pushups and shit like that you're doing really well and you've got to be strong as hell to do it.
For sure. The probable best way to train for the really advanced body weight stuff is to train with weights anyway. I'm sure there are a million ways to progress to a pistol squat through bodyweight alone but I'd gamble that barbell squats are the fastest and easiest way to build that strength.Absolutely! However, what I was trying to address in my post was that it IS super hard. It's much easier to put 5lbs extra on a barbell every week and then a year later you're strong as fuck. Compared to learning how to progress from a knees-down pushup to a full planche.
Obviously, dedication will allow you to overcome anything... but my impression is that if a man isn't dedicated enough to structure his life enough to use weights then he very very likely is not dedicated enough to progress into a pistol squat, hand-stand pushup, or full planche. Like Khane said (kinda).