Help With Workout / Weight Training

[OliverKlozerof]

I've done a mild exercise regimen at home for several years and have decided to ramp it up a bit, mainly to see if I can add some upper body definition, but would also like a balanced and healthy overall workout.

I've been learning quite a bit online about different approaches, but would be willing to pay a knowledgable person for a few one-to-one sessions (exercises, schedule, diet...).

I live near the (very basic) gym in Lumphini Park, so would like to meet someone there who can communicate well in English.

BTW, I did a quick search here for 'personal trainer Bangkok' and found a company called FitCorp Asia. They said they have a B27k / 12 session minimum, which is too much for me.

[Rumblecat]

What do you want to pay per session? People like http://www.bangkokpersonalfitnesstrainer.com will do a session for 1,400 with no max / minimum session requirements.

[transam]

You don't need to pay anyone. Stuff is on the net but you must read lots. Lots of crap out there and stuff that works for one that will not work for another..........All this personal trainer stuff to me is just a money maker, just get your head in gear to challenge yourself..

[DavidMavec]

Don't pay anyone. Try the Stronglifts 5x5 routine to start. You can download videos on YouTube to get your form right for all the lifts.

[transam]

A little inspiration from a guy with a goal many years back.....

[cms22]

I've been going to the gym for years, cardio and strength building. best thing I ever did. But you don't need any outside help. Do it yourself, go step by step, do cardio-weights in equal measure and perhaps take some weigh. You'll be fit as a fiddle in no time

[TheRascal]

Don't pay anyone. Try the Stronglifts 5x5 routine to start. You can download videos on YouTube to get your form right for all the lifts.

Second this, they have an app too if you have a smartphone.

If the basic gym has a bench, barbells and a squat rack / cage you're sound.

[transam]

I've been going to the gym for years, cardio and strength building. best thing I ever did. But you don't need any outside help. Do it yourself, go step by step, do cardio-weights in equal measure and perhaps take some weigh. You'll be fit as a fiddle in no time

I agree, your head will tell you stuff as well as you telling your body what you can do and perhaps go beyond. The beyond stuff is where you will find what you want to achieve........

[klauskunkel]

I agree, don't pay any 'personal trainers'. Observe the regulars in the gym how they handle the equipment and the way they exercise (form). You can ask them any particulars, most are quite nice and share their knowledge.

[NoshowJones]

A little inspiration from a guy with a goal many years back.....

Does this guy not look worse than any fat bellied tattooed expat Trans? An overmuscled monkeyman if ever there was one. There I go again SmotherB.

[NoshowJones]

Don't pay anyone. Try the Stronglifts 5x5 routine to start. You can download videos on YouTube to get your form right for all the lifts.

Second this, they have an app too if you have a smartphone.

If the basic gym has a bench, barbells and a squat rack / cage you're sound.

Why does anyone need to go to a gym here in Thailand? There are exercise machines all over the place you can use without getting that monkeyman look.

[transam]

A little inspiration from a guy with a goal many years back.....

Does this guy not look worse than any fat bellied tattooed expat Trans? An overmuscled monkeyman if ever there was one. There I go again SmotherB.

Many years back I watched an interview with him about his old age and what would happen. He talked true, but for sure in his glory years he had fun we could only dream about. His glory years lead to financial stuff we could only dream about. Yeh, I think he cracked his world......

[carib102]

Stronglifts 5x5 is the best routine I have ever done for strength and mass gains. For fat loss and increased definition though I think the OP needs a program that emphasizes a higher rep scheme and minimal rest between sets.

OP, as others have said there is plenty of information available for free on the internet, just need to do your research. I've found that the only real benefit to having a personal trainer is for motivation. You can get the same motivation if you find a training partner who has similar goals as yours.

[NoshowJones]

A little inspiration from a guy with a goal many years back.....

Does this guy not look worse than any fat bellied tattooed expat Trans? An overmuscled monkeyman if ever there was one. There I go again SmotherB.

Many years back I watched an interview with him about his old age and what would happen. He talked true, but for sure in his glory years he had fun we could only dream about. His glory years lead to financial stuff we could only dream about. Yeh, I think he cracked his world......

Yes Trans, but only speaking for myself, if I was offered enough money to be a millionaire if a went to the gym and started pumping iron a few hours every day to become overmuscled, I know what my answer would be.

[Pui]

The Fitness First centre at Paragon is great and pretty reasonable at 2200 - 2600 per month depending on payment plan. They have personal trainers but its extra. However 3 initial classes are included plus free progress updates.

It took over from the California gym which I was also a member but this is much better. In the last 18 months I've seen great results in weight lose combined with a Low Carb diet.

It well recommended, includes towel and fitness clothing.

[Nokawou]

Any good exercise program will do when you are a beginner for example Allan King, Craig Ballentine, Tom Venuto, BEN PAKULSKI, Shawna Kaminski just download a program for a few bucks and start. Print out the exercises for each day and make notes of the weights so that you can track you progress. I am currently doing Shawna's pullups program, she is a great lady 51 years old so if she can do it I can do it, Will move on to Ben's program next week. Same time every day and rest every second or third day and very important change your routine every 3 weeks that is the main reason you need a professional program so that the variation is build in, your body is very smart and adapts within a month. Start slowly and build up the weights your muscle will get stronger in a month but your tendons take up to 4 months to adapt going heavy in the beginning will only lead to injury. Good luck and just keep to it if you are over 50 the benefits are really worth the effort.

[jchfriis]

I find that keeping track of what and how much you do is a great motivator. If you have a smartphone you should try Jefit. It comes in a free and a pro version. The pro version cost very little and is worth the extra features. Recently a friend I hadn't seen for a few months commented that I must be working out, so it has worked great for me. And by the way, I'm 66 years old. It's never too late.

[OliverKlozerof]

Thanks for all the interest. Yes, I've been leafing through the overabundance (emphasis on the "over"), of info on the web. Watched several youtube vids, found various sites. Most recently going through the overwhelming number of programs and info at bodybuilding.com. All free. The internet is an amazing thing. I've learned quite a bit.

Yes, I know several exercises for chest (my main, but not only interest); that is best to do, say about 8 reps to failure for 3 to 5 sets for hypertrophy (tear down to build back bigger). You can do full body workout or various kinds of split workouts.... Most recommend whey, so I've got some of that....

I was a gymnast back in school days, so have been working with weights and machines a long time.

Still, I think it *might* be worth a couple thousand baht to have a *few* sessions with someone, as long as they are educated and experienced in helping people like myself. I'm 58 now and in pretty good shape (I ride my bike everywhere, for example). I don't want to pay for a gym that has all the adjustable weights (Lumphini is just B20/time, but doesn't even have a complete set of dumbbells and half the machines don't work). There are pretty impressive bodybuilders at Lumphini but, alas, almost all are Thai and my Thai is not that good. I want a program that's specific to my goals. Yeah, I'm already working out and feeling just great. Yes, I will keep reading and experimenting, but I'd like to try getting one-to-one help a few times with someone who has made something of a career of it. I'd like my workouts and effort to be spent on the efficient side, not the opposite. ;-)

[HUAHIN62]

Get tips from the internet and then put it into practice and see what works for you and what you enjoy to do. For most muscle groups there are more than 1 type of exercise, use the one that you like. Start slow and build your routine to a level that you have in mind. Set clear objectives for yourself and get a exercise buddy. The buddy system helps with the motivation side of things. Make certain that you do enough stretching in your routine.

[lawley]

Hi, I read other members comments about not utilising a personal trainer and just going it alone. As someone who has been weight training for over 30 years, whom has competed successfully in body building and power lifting, been an Aust. national bodybuilding judge and a personal trainer, I have a different viewpoint. Personal trainers seem to be everywhere these days and it can be a good income source for people with limited knowledge, training and life experience. Finding a good personal trainer can be rather difficult, especially for somebody with little exposure to the gym and fitness scene, those actual people that require a personal trainer. However, a good experienced personal trainer can be very beneficial at times, and not just for the novice trainer. With my years of experience, I am still learning little things and training tips here and there. For yourself, new to the gym scene, I would recommend a personal trainer for a short period of time. A couple of sessions a week over a two month period should be enough to set you on the right track to training with correct form and help you with structuring a program suitable for your own specific goals and body type. We are all different, and so require our own individual excercise program designed specifically with our goals, body type and any possible physical limitations in mind. A good personal trainer should sit down with you and design your individual program around these parameters.

I am constantly astounded at the poor form and ridiculous excercises I see being performed in various gyms these days. People have lost the idea of basic excercise form and function. Funnily enough, personal trainers are largely responsible for this as they feel the need to come up with something different, some novel approach which either gives them a point of difference or maybe to keep their clients from becoming bored or stale. Naturally personal training is there business, their lifestyle so they want to hang on to (ie. milk) their clients for all they can. Having said that, I would still recommend a trainer to get you started on the right path, just ask them to verify their accreditation's and more importantly experience before choosing your trainer.

[OliverKlozerof]

Thanks lawly. You bring up exactly the kind of points I'm thinking of. For example, now at 58, I want to be careful about not overdoing things too early/quickly.... Already (unfortunately), I feel some sensitivity in my left shoulder. Also, my neck can be easily tweaked by things (and/or stress?), so I need to make sure my form and exercises don't exacerbate these things. I've also seen guys on the web emphasize that older guys need to spend more time warming up. Plus, I'd like to be doing the right kind of stretching afterwards. Again, I can research and experiment with all this stuff myself, but I'd like a real person to bounce my ideas off of. One example of overwhelm is, bodybuilding.com--they have a database of over 300 exercises, with videos showing correct form, etc. I'd rather not take the time to go through all of them, try them, and decide whether or not to add them to my routine.

[ginglee]

You should keep things simple. Stick to compound exercises; Flat bench press, squats, deadlift, shoulder press, bicep curls. go for 4 sets of each 12 reps, do this 3 times per week....keep to this for 2mths. Then start looking at 5x5s, negative reps, single muscle sessions etc....I guess the only thing someone should show you is good form. It's important to do the exercise correctly from the start.

If you really want to track a very good guy down, then try and locate Bart Vandermolen- he won the Universe going back a few years. I know he was doing 1 2 1 session a few years back in Bangkok. I haven't seen him for a few years- so not sure if he's still in BKK.....Failing that are you on facebook? If so do then look for Gary Strydom, again he lives in BKK, this guy is another level up again from Bart, his page is very informative. I guess if he is doing 1 2 1 then it would cost lots...

Happy training !

[TimBKK]

I would look into a bodyweight workout regime, especially if you do not want to join or do not have access to a good gym. As above there are plenty of options online and lots of good info as well. I have been using the You Are Your Own Gym program by Mark Lauren. Not sure if I can include links, if not just google it...

https://www.marklauren.com

http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/B00AM7EQYC

https://itunes.apple.com/eg/app/bodyweight-training-you-are/id416981420?mt=8

Great results, easy to use the app and vids (NOT an easy program at the upper end - this dude is fit)

Maybe one of the P90x programs would work as well.

[OliverKlozerof]

Agree about simplicity and including body weight exercises. Sure, fully equipped gyms are nice, but I don't want to waste time getting there and don't want to be subjected to aerobics "music", don't need the expense, don't want the fashion competition, etc. Have you seen 'bar brothers' on youtube. Get nice healthy forms just using bars in a playground. I do have 2 sets of dumbells and a slant board. Just have to pedal down to lumpini for chin up bar....

[manxninja]

xhamster is free and you will have great forearms in no time.

Seriousy tho the hardest part is starting on a fitness programme join a gym and keep it regular you will see progress. Oh and food is70 percent of the key to your goals.

good luck and go train hard

[Panadero]

I'm 49 years old and have been working out and lifting weights since I was a teen. I used to have a membership at a gym in BKK, one of the formerly popular California Fitness places. I would do my own thing in there but cringed as I saw the so called personal trainers setting people up for injury by having clients use way too much weight and no clue about safe form. I would agree with previous commenters. You don't need one of these trainers leading you the wrong way. At 58 you aren't going to put on much mass and it sounds like you don't want to. Brother you don't need a gym. I tell people that all I need to workout is enough space to fully spread my arms and maybe a yoga mat to lay on. Personally I've evolved into mostly bodyweight exercises and I recommend this for you and everybody. The strength you gain is FUNCTIONAL, not just show muscles. Like the other guys said you can find all the information you need online. Let me recommend a book called Convict Conditioning which is all about bodyweight exercises and gradually being able to work up to the harder ones with smart progressions. There are tons of good videos on youtube if you search Bodyweight exercises. You'll see these guys are strong as hell but most are not so big. Anything by Pavel Tsatsoline is gold. Every knowledgeable trainer in the industry refers to him. Don't overdo it man, you're 58! Training to failure all the time is setting yourself up for injury. Unless you are 20 or on the juice you just can't do it. Give the bodyweight stuff a look. Its free!

[Panadero]

Barstarz on youtube

[Panadero]

I would look into a bodyweight workout regime, especially if you do not want to join or do not have access to a good gym. As above there are plenty of options online and lots of good info as well. I have been using the You Are Your Own Gym program by Mark Lauren. Not sure if I can include links, if not just google it...

https://www.marklauren.com

http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Your-Own-Gym/dp/B00AM7EQYC

https://itunes.apple.com/eg/app/bodyweight-training-you-are/id416981420?mt=8

Great results, easy to use the app and vids (NOT an easy program at the upper end - this dude is fit)

Maybe one of the P90x programs would work as well.

You are your own gym is a great program.

[BenCrew]

Do some cardio, cycle, treadmill, or rowing machine if you're lucky. When doing the weights, look to be able to do 10 reps on all body part exercises to avoid injuries. Use a combination of dumbbells / barbells, and machines. Personal trainers are way overpriced everywhere, as are some of the gyms. My local gym was charging 150 Baht a session, but have since realized their mistake and reduced it to 70 Baht, so now a bit busier for an average gym. Good luck with the workouts.

[robertson468]

Thanks lawly. You bring up exactly the kind of points I'm thinking of. For example, now at 58, I want to be careful about not overdoing things too early/quickly.... Already (unfortunately), I feel some sensitivity in my left shoulder. Also, my neck can be easily tweaked by things (and/or stress?), so I need to make sure my form and exercises don't exacerbate these things. I've also seen guys on the web emphasize that older guys need to spend more time warming up. Plus, I'd like to be doing the right kind of stretching afterwards. Again, I can research and experiment with all this stuff myself, but I'd like a real person to bounce my ideas off of. One example of overwhelm is, bodybuilding.com--they have a database of over 300 exercises, with videos showing correct form, etc. I'd rather not take the time to go through all of them, try them, and decide whether or not to add them to my routine.

What ho Junior Trainer, you sound really motivated about progressing your training. I am 70 years of age in two weeks time and road run about 3.5Ks nearly every day and then do about 40 mins anarobic exercise. I consider my running as my warm up phase and in all these years it has by and large stood me in good stead, buy hey I know many don"t like to run, despite it being the best form of exercise, despite all the other nonesense you read in the press. I have my own little gym which consists of a bench press which can be adjusted to flat or sitting positions, a crash mat and one set of dumbells at 4kg, one set of 5kg and one set of 7kg weights. I always use the bench press when training with the weights, the older you get, the more prone you are to either putting your back out or injuring the sciatic nerve (and that ain't fun!). I do 20 repetitions of 16 different exercises then strech off at the end by stretching the achiles tendon, lower calf muscle, upper leg muscle and the glutus maximus (your bum!). Oh for the pecs I grasp my wrists in front of me about waist height and then pull outwards (still holding on) and then concentrate on tensing the pec muscles. The result of this regime is I comfortably competed in a 5k charity run, have good muscular definition around my body and have stoped Moobes forming and going south. I have been doing this regime for over 20 years now and have to admit feel really good. The other advantage is my beautiful wife who is a mere 43 years of age and had started developing the paunch asked me how to get rid of it, as mine is very flat, so she likewise is doing a similar exercise, but a lighter regime and lo and behold not only is the paunch disappearing, but her waist is more defined which gives greater contour to the boobs. She also is slowly increasing the size of the weights, but has warned, "I don't want man muscle, okay!" I think the other important advice is listen to your body and don't over do it. As one previous correspondent said, work up slowly and allow your body to adjust. By the way, I too have the odd tweeks and pains, but I expect it at only 70 and make allowances for it. I don't stop exercising but might take it a bit easier on that muscle group, because remember blood flow though the muscle helps to remove the damaged tissue and heal quicker. Good luck and do remember to send me an update when you reach 70!!