In an effort to keep their large geriatric clientele happy, my YMCA has recently added a floor show for their morning entertainment. A show so gripping that it even tops Ellen. (Note: not really. Nobody can top Ellen. I just wanted to work that in here somehow to tell you to check out MizFit’s hilarious quest to get herself on The Ellen Show. If this doesn’t do the trick, I don’t know what will!) In a word: It’s us.
There are some Experiments we do that draw a lot of comments from the gray-haired peanut gallery and this month’s Personal Training (with actual person this time!) Experiment was one of those. Lindsey of Lean Bodies Fitness had the Gym Buddies and I doing all kinds of crazy things so on Monday I had to giggle when I overheard the following:
“Have you seen those girls? They just run everywhere! Can’t even walk to get someplace.”
“I know! They’re crazy.” (Charlotte’s note: always the mark of a good Experiment!)
“It’s gross. I’ve never seen a girl sweat so much.” (This last one was said right as I ran by and, honestly, they’re right. I sweat like the Amazon pre-Al Gore.)
The Experiment
This month was the first month of real, intense exercise I’ve been able to do since 6 weeks before my baby was, born marking a full 12 weeks off – barring my one Turbo class when she was a month old – of hardcore exercise. What a way to get back in! I asked Lindsey for a kick-butt workout and she sure gave us one. We sweated huge disgusting puddles inspiring Gym Buddy Krista to comment, “The worst thing about this Experiment is all the extra laundry.” I would disagree – I think the all the lat work was the worst part (Anyone else have a body part they just abhor working? Mine are my lats. I’ll never work them of my own accord!) – but the laundry was a close second. It only took me one load of washing the baby’s stuff with mine to realize that “swotch” (a.k.a. sweaty crotch) is not a smell you want on your infant’s onesie.
What I Liked
In contrast to the last time we used an online personal trainer, this time there was an actual person – Lindsey – involved. This made a huge difference. Our weekly check-ins with her helped keep me motivated and engaged. It also helped me cheat less knowing I was going to be reporting my reps and weights to her. I discovered that having a real live person to listen to you is kind of like a poor-man’s therapy and since my therapist is now M.I.A. I let out all my weight woes to Lindsey. Girl was a darn good sport, refusing to get sucked into my drama. I gotta say it’s hard to work up a good hysteria when the listening party insists on being rational. Lindsey calmed my anxiety by pointing me to her progress pics and telling me that she couldn’t lose all the weight either while she was breastfeeding.
I think that the best part of working with an online trainer would be the adaptability. Seeing as this Experiment was only one month we didn’t really get to test out this aspect but assuming you stick with things longer than I do (Me? Flighty? Wait, what’s that shiny object over there!) then she would change the program to suit your changing needs.
What I Didn’t Like
The workouts were tough to the point of brutal (barftastic was thrown around a lot) which was awesome and entirely what we asked for but I would have liked them to be a little more fun. Lunges ad nauseum may be difficult but they got a bit monotonous.
The other downside to an online personal trainer is that, well, they’re online. While the Gym Buddies do a pretty good job of both motivating me and keeping me honest, it would have been better for all of us had we had her standing over us and fixing our form, kicking our butts and keeping us from watching the latest Inside Edition (trust me, you do not need to know that Heidi Montag wants to trade in her DDDs for “H’s – for Heidi!” You want your initials on your body? Get a tattoo!).
Results
Not that this is the best measure of a workout but I lost a total of 3.8 pounds. For all my whining and moaning it was almost a pound a week which is pretty darn decent all things considered. The real success however was in my muscles – I lost a full inch off each thigh (joy!), 3/4 inch off my hips and 1/4 inch off my waist. I gained 1/4 inch on my biceps and my chest – well that fluctuates hourly so we won’t talk about that one. While I’m still not back to my old dumbbell weights, I definitely improved this month and built some muscle. It felt good to be back hefting some serious iron again. Gym Buddy Allison, whose baby is just 6 weeks older than Jelly Bean, was back to her old ways of wowing us with her amazing strength. Girl uses a 65-lb curl bar for her upright rows! The mamas are back in business!
Gym Buddy Krista lost 2 pounds this month and 1/2 inch each off her butt and thighs. She had this to say: “It was very tough, got me out of my comfort zone, forced me to push myself, was quite boring…would have like to have seen 2 weeks worth of different workouts to be repeated once, was lunge heavy…would’ve like to have seen some creativity in those and the squats.”
Gym Buddy Megan lost 4 pounds and is down 1/2 inch on her butt, 3/4 inch on her waist and 1/2 inch on her arm. She agreed with Krista’s assessment of the workout.
Conclusions
Online personal training is a great option for people who can’t or don’t want to use a live in-person trainer but still want someone to kick their butt (vicariously). They are a convenient and affordable option for people who are good at self-motivating and really just need someone to tell them what to do next. Like any trainer there are good ones and bad ones so take the time to check out their credentials and make sure they are a good fit for what your goals are. I really enjoyed my time with Lindsey and was impressed with her service – I’d certainly recommend her!
On another note, I came to some very interesting conclusions about my diet over the course of this Experiment that I’ll share with you next week. And, February’s Great Fitness Experiment coming at you on Monday! (Hint: It’s one you guys have been asking me to do ever since I started this blog and it’s going to be a killer! I’m SOOO excited!)
What about you guys? 30 of you won a free month of Lindsey’s training with us – what did you think?? What body part do you guys hate to work out?
I've been slogging through the workout too and have reached a lot of the same conclusions. Yes, the workouts pushed me way out of my comfort zone, but it wasn't fun and I was bored. I slipped this week because I just couldn't face more lunges.
But I have lost 3lbs and I haven't taken my measurements yet but I'm sure I've lost inches.
I learnt that I'm capable of more than I think I am. I'm going to incorporate some of the workouts into my normal workouts for sure.
I'm planning a focus on food next month though – I wonder if I could have lost more if my eating had been on plan more.
ok if YOU are saying TOUGH TO THE POINT OF BRUTAL that knock knock you just heard was me *tapping out* (without ever even tapping in…)
My program was different from yours and I wouldn't say it was brutal, but some of it definitely challenged me. I'd say the downside of an online personal trainer is that they aren't there to push you and make sure you are working your hardest – which sometimes I don't (depends on the day). But I do like having someone design a different program for me because that's something I'm not good at doing on my own.
I didn't get bored with my program except for the Ab workouts. I got tired of doing planks and for the last two I actually didn't – I subbed in my own Ab workouts because I just couldn't face doing more planks; they may be effective, but they're boring.
I haven't lost any significant amount of weight (but my eating has been far from perfect – as usual). Haven't done measurements yet so it's hard to say but I sort of feel like I can see a little bit of a difference in the mirror.
It certainly sounds like an effective workout ! Congrats for getting through it.
I don't really hate working out any particular part of my body, except maybe my abs – I don't have any and I can't do the exercises.
I'll certainly be checking out Lindsay's site
I think I'd be up for that sort of a workout, although I'd want some variation. I think I could do a workout for a week and then need a changeup. I find my form sucks when I'm bored…. I'm waiting for my knee to be up to speed and then it's lunge city 🙂
Sounds like a great time! (Kidding.) I hate working my shoulders. I'm super weak there so pretty much anything I do kills. And then the next day I walk around all day as if I were in mid-shrug.
Have a good weekend!
A pound per week is very healthy weight loss, though not often what you want to see on the scale! I think people often forget to take their measurements, which is a shame b/c that is where the real fun is! Congratulations and keep up the great work!
I'm glad you liked it! I will work on switching it up even more. And fyi, I have hundreds of different squat and lunge variations but they're scattered throughout the different programs. So if you really want different variations, stick around. 😉
Oh, one more thing, I agree, I get bored with the same things for a month, but from the boring trainer perspective it is very important to stick with something for at least 4 weeks even up to 6 so you can measure progress. If you do too many different things you will never progress at any ONE thing. Does that make sense?
wow what great results! and i agree that the word "crazy" is not a bad thing to describe someone working out. i take pride in it in fact. plus i sweat like no other too. no shame though. own the sweat 🙂
I hate working triceps (because they are weak which is exactly why I should work them more).
I loved the workouts. I am a boring person by nature and don't have much free time so I liked not needing to learn a new routine each time. I actually did some of the resistance routines more than I was supposed to because I really liked them (except for the burpees – gosh I hate them but I did them). I also subbed some ab stuff but I cannot tell a lie – I love planks. What was cool too was that I finally got to use our bowflex which has been getting dusty ever since I got my husband his TRX last year (I swear he would sleep with that thing given how much he loves it – his abs look phenomenal).
I can push myself pretty hard and have really good form (as my previous in-person personal trainer would tell me) so the online training worked well. My results were not great but all my fault. I have a hamstring and back injury that is preventing HIIT and other cardio has been curtailed because I spend too much time in physical therapy leaving not too much more time for workouts. My eating in week 1 was great but I slid downhill from there. Today, I am back at the weight I got to at the end of the 1st week – down @ 3-5 lbs (a range because I started this after some bad eating so was probably holding quite a bit of water). I do feel stronger in general.
I am sticking in there for another month!
I've also been working with Lindsey for the last month and just bought her three month total coaching package(as did my husband)! We've had great success in improving our fitness levels, and we're both picking it up intensity-wise for February.
We both eased into a bit, but I did have some barftastic moments during HIIT workouts 🙂 We found the food logging very helpful in keeping us honest, and I lost almost 4 pounds, and hubby is down almost 10, so in that regard it was also a success. Food logging is a bit of pain, though, so we've worked with Lindsey to create a nutitional score card thingy instead, which I think will be a great tool.
Becuase of the way my program is/was structured I certainly avoided boredom, although I know hubby did sub some ab workouts rather than repeat them. I would recommend Lindsey to anyone for sure. She kept our goals and limitations in mind when assigning our programs, and is great at giving feedback and suggestions when any issue come up.
And speaking of goals, I'm looking forward to busting out a massive set of pullups come April (in time for my b'day)!
Jennifer (in Newfoundland)
I hate lats too. They're definitely far and away the hardest to work!
I like your thoughts on the online personal trainer- it's much as I would have expected. Nice to see those kinds of results though!
Amber Rose, after 4 C-sections, and cursed with a wonky neck and a iffy lower back, I thought there was no ab workout that I could be successful at. Lo and behold, after purchasing a large, inflatable fitness ball, I found that I could work my abs comfortably without straining my parts, and actually get results. Just make sure you sit on the ball with your lower back on the ball and curl forward and side to side. Don't sit with your butt high on the ball and lean way back. I added planks to my workout in combination with the ball, and I am happy to say that at 48 years old, I can proudly wear a bikini and have great ab definition. Of course it didn't happen overnight, but if done regulary, and sometimes at night in front of the TV (I am a multi-tasker!)you will see results. Good luck!
This sounds great. I can't afford a gym membership, let alone a personal trainer, but I'd love a little more direction in my workouts. I tend to be all over the place, and I put together everything from the research I can find and bits and pieces of good advice I can get. Not surprisingly, I've only seen modest gains with this approach. I'd love to have someone help me figure out what would actually work and keep me accountable. I will definitely look into this more.
Tough workouts, but they paid off. I lost 5 pounds and 3/4 inch off each thigh, and 1 1/2 inches inch off my waist. I am so glad I took measurements because I never would have thought 5 pounds would make so much of a difference!
Workouts were great for me, I like lunges and high intensity stuff. They paid off in strength gains too. Out of curiosity I tried out the squat rack with 105 lb. (2- 35 lb. weights plus 35 lb. bar) and cranked out 3 sets of 8 and that was AFTER I did a HIIT set. Hubby was impressed.
I don't like working my shoulders, and I didn't realize how weak they are because of it. So it was nice to have a trainer give me a workout routine that covered all my muscle groups.
It was really good for me to track my calories and realize that foods I thought were low-calorie really weren't.
Surprisingly, I have done better giving myself MORE calories than on any previous "diet" (but still less than my regular eating). I am happy to have found a calorie range that I can live with and works for me.
Well, if I had the $$, I would like a in life personal trainer.. I like the real thing & to be pushed! I also like change so doing the same thing every workout is not my thing but I have been at this for years so I need to change to keep my bod responding.
Loved my month with Lindsey, but I don't think my workouts were as difficult as yours. No swotch or puking going on over here.
I did lose a couple of pounds, but honestly, I think that had to do with my dietary changes over the last couple of weeks. I know you know. 🙂
My stomach. Blech.
By the way, I worked out for the first time since my kid was born 7 weeks ago, and you know how long I lasted on the treadmill? ONE MINUTE. Of jogging, anyway. Then I walked.
Wow Charlotte- a pound a week and all those inches? That's ridic. excellent. Sounds like it really was a good program.
Can't wait to hear about your dietary assessments and other news next week!
I bet being back to butt kicking workouts feels great! Honestly, I hate lunges and squats. I like arms, abs, back, but weight bearing leg exercises I am just not a fan of.
I wish I could find something I really enjoy weight training-wise. Sometimes I get a kick out of something new like the 30 day shred or finding a new exciting move, but it lacks the excitement of running for me. I need to find the enthusiasm as I think I need to be stronger all over going into marathon training (am I REALLY doing this? yipes)and I will have a good few months of downtime this spring – I'm thinking 1/3 serious lifting heavy things, 1/3 long slow runs to get used to being on my feet a while, and 1/3 fun cardio (dance, bike adventures, etc).
Now I'm rambling… back to my own blog! 🙂
I worked with Lindsey this month too (I didn't make the giveaway so I just paid her).
I got a little more variety than it seems you did in January – 4 "HRT" workouts (my husband says she should have included the "U") that each got repeated once. These are intense calisthenic type workouts, and the second time I did each I was supposed to beat my time or reps from before. The variety and the challenge were big pluses for me! Although, yeah, the other workouts got a little boring to do week after week.
Overall I liked it enough to sign up for another month! This month I'm getting a killer circuit workout that would probably sound very familiar to you!
At the start of the month, my baby was 3 months old, I'd been doing a little bit of exercise but nothing real serious, and I'd lost none of the baby weight yet. Zero. (And oh yeah, I basically sat on my ass the whole pregnancy.)
By the end of January, I'd lost 6 pounds and 7 combined inches, didn't gain any inches on my muscular parts but I feel way stronger than I did at the beginning of the month. My reps went up and my times went down. I can almost do a pull-up again (almost)!
I call the experiment a success! Like I said, I'm signing up for more Lindsey. I just hope my body keeps up the good progress