Question for those who've made great gains on their own, and those who had trainers..

[mrplunkey]

A good trainer can make a huge difference. Find someone who is:

1) Certified
2) Bigger than you
3) Stronger than you
4) Immaculate form
5) A total information junkie... they are always saying "hey I just read..."
6) Experimental... but methodical. They'll vary the program, but only to test thier theories on how you personally will respond.
7) Motivational... they can help you get over the hump on that one day a week you really didn't feel like getting under the weight
8) Level headed... a good trainer knows when to say "hey, your shoulders are blown today. Take it to the house" versus "hey, you're being a pussy today. I'd like to see two more shoulder movements before we roll out of here".

Find those attributes and you're in business. I'd never let anyone train me who couldn't kick my ass in virtually every lift.

 

[Bruce]

doesn't mean shit how big the trainer is sorry, the man who brough roy jones, leon spinks, and countless other boxers up a weigt class to win, is a fruity little white man, who looks like shit, however, he trains fully with Roy throughout workouts. he just knows his shit. Outlaw knows exactly what he is talking about as usual

 

[Tupac_9_lives]

A good trainer can make a huge difference. Find someone who is:

1) Certified
2) Bigger than you
3) Stronger than you
4) Immaculate form
5) A total information junkie... they are always saying "hey I just read..."
6) Experimental... but methodical. They'll vary the program, but only to test thier theories on how you personally will respond.
7) Motivational... they can help you get over the hump on that one day a week you really didn't feel like getting under the weight
8) Level headed... a good trainer knows when to say "hey, your shoulders are blown today. Take it to the house" versus "hey, you're being a pussy today. I'd like to see two more shoulder movements before we roll out of here".

Find those attributes and you're in business. I'd never let anyone train me who couldn't kick my ass in virtually every lift.

Sorry P, i totally disagree... i worked in a gym that had among the best trainers in the US. the smartest guy among us was 400 lbs @ about 26%. his resume looks something like this ... stayed awith and trained mike tyson, michael jordon, and various other names hw couldnt disclose. if you saw him, you would say "damn that guy will probley have a stroke before 50. @ close to 400lbs he could stand on a air ball with one foot and do squats!

 

[silverbackn]

doesn't mean shit how big the trainer is sorry, the man who brough roy jones, leon spinks, and countless other boxers up a weigt class to win, is a fruity little white man, who looks like shit, however, he trains fully with Roy throughout workouts. he just knows his shit. Outlaw knows exactly what he is talking about as usual

This doesn't apply. A boxing trainer and and a personal trainer are entirely different. Apples and oranges. It doesn't matter what a boxer looks like, it matters what a client or bodybuilder looks like. I think everyone has valid points really, they are all to a point blanket statements, which of course they aren't 100% right. They are some good guidelines to look at though. Size doesn't equal knowledge, when you find somone with both you have a gold mine.

 

[mrplunkey]

Sorry P, i totally disagree... i worked in a gym that had among the best trainers in the US. the smartest guy among us was 400 lbs @ about 26%. his resume looks something like this ... stayed awith and trained mike tyson, michael jordon, and various other names hw couldnt disclose. if you saw him, you would say "damn that guy will probley have a stroke before 50. @ close to 400lbs he could stand on a air ball with one foot and do squats!

We do prep work for guys wanting to go to the NFL combine and let me let you in on a little sekrit. Know what training a "big name" means? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.

See, training a first or second rounder isn't training -- it's cheerleading. You pep them up, hand them a towel, and tell them how great they are. Ok... so let's get that #1 draft pick an extra 3 reps @ 225 on the bench (standard combine test). What's that mean? Will his year one salary go from $2.25M to $2.35M? Is it really worth the slight risk of injury anyway?

Now... here is the real test. Take a guy who's about 50/50... he could go either way in the draft. He's either going to be making the leage minimum salary (pushing $300k a year) -- or he's going to go home a failure and sell used cars as a local hero. That's the guy who needs a trainer like I mentioned in my earlier post.

P.S. Oh... and the trainer should be with you... on the field... showing and doing the drills. His numbers and performance should be consistent not with the specific athelete he's with -- but they should be consistent with people of similar positions. For example, if he's 240 lbs and 6'3", he should be able to mimik the weight room and field drills prowess of a typical outside linebacker. If the trainer is 6'6" and 290 lbs, he should be able to mimik the prowess of a defensive end, etc. etc.

 

[Mr_MAX]

How big.. is Ronnie's trainer?? hummmm

 

[cboogsrun]

I think most of the trainers people see in gyms are a joke. They mostly work with overweight people just trying to loose some fat. However there seems to be a select few who are on a level of their own and know their shit. I have a buddy who knows jack shit about nutrition and is a trainer at powerhouse gym. I would never hire him. I've seen him lift and its a joke. There are so many wanna be's it makes me sick. Its almost theft the money these people charge. For me the only reason to use a trainer would be for serious rehabilitation or other medical reasons. I enjoy finding out what works best for me by myself, or trying new things I see people do. Its what keeps me from getting burned out.

boogs

 

[Advisor_x]

I did better with a buddy that also puts the same effort, and helps that he competes cause he had more experience with tecniques and pointers from the guys with experience...

I wouldn't be caught dead with those panzies. Trainors are for girls and small guys who have no idea what they're doing. Just do your research. Find a friend to work out with for a while who knows what he's doing. Get pointers from the big guys in your gym. Do you see any of the muscle freaks with trainors? I never have, not at my gyms anyway.

 

[Tupac_9_lives]

We do prep work for guys wanting to go to the NFL combine and let me let you in on a little sekrit. Know what training a "big name" means? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.

See, training a first or second rounder isn't training -- it's cheerleading. You pep them up, hand them a towel, and tell them how great they are. Ok... so let's get that #1 draft pick an extra 3 reps @ 225 on the bench (standard combine test). What's that mean? Will his year one salary go from $2.25M to $2.35M? Is it really worth the slight risk of injury anyway?

Now... here is the real test. Take a guy who's about 50/50... he could go either way in the draft. He's either going to be making the leage minimum salary (pushing $300k a year) -- or he's going to go home a failure and sell used cars as a local hero. That's the guy who needs a trainer like I mentioned in my earlier post.

P.S. Oh... and the trainer should be with you... on the field... showing and doing the drills. His numbers and performance should be consistent not with the specific athelete he's with -- but they should be consistent with people of similar positions. For example, if he's 240 lbs and 6'3", he should be able to mimik the weight room and field drills prowess of a typical outside linebacker. If the trainer is 6'6" and 290 lbs, he should be able to mimik the prowess of a defensive end, etc. etc.

man you are so wrong again.... let me just put it in simple terms... that trainer i was reffering too... you amd everyone on this board wouldnt come close to the amount of knowledge he has. plain and simple. i dont think mike tyson gave a fk weather he injured himself training either. and from what he was telling me, it involed nothing like handing him a towel. sorry plunkey, i like you bro, but your just wrong on this one.

 

[silverbackn]

This subject is totally relative to your experiences and the traineres around you. Nobody is right or wrong we have all just been in different environments.