How does this routine look for my client?

[Paul_Rockey]

Client: Female wanting to get stronger, toned, and lose a little bit of body fat, and who used to enjoy martial arts. She is in her late 20's and is just starting to become active again. Not overweight at all, but hasn't been consistantly physcially active in months.

Sunday
1. 5 minutes of stretching
2. 30 minutes of weights (Chest Day, 5 or 6 sets per exercise, 6-12 reps per exercise, 30-60 second rests)
-Bench Press
-Incline Dumbell press
-Fly/Tricep Extension superset
3. 5 minutes of jump rope
4. 5 minutes of shadowboxing, one minute break
5. 5-minute round of focus mitts, one minute break
6. Three 3-minute rounds of Thai Pads, one minute breaks in between
7. 5 minutes of stretching

Monday.
REST

Tuesday
1. 5 minutes of stretching
2. 30 minutes of weights (Leg Day, 5 or 6 sets per exercise, 6-12 reps per exercise, 30-60 second rests)
-Back Squat (or smith squat if client can't do proper form)
-Leg Press
-Leg Extension/Leg Curl superset
3. 5 minutes of jump rope
4. 5 minutes of shadowboxing, one minute break
5. 5-minute round of focus mitts, one minute break
6. Three 3-minute rounds of Thai Pads, one minute breaks in between
7. 5 minutes of stretching

Wednesday
On her own, 30 minute jog

Thursday
OFF

Friday
1. 5 minutes of stretching
2. 30 minutes of weights (Back Day, 5 or 6 sets per exercise, 6-12 reps per exercise, 30-60 second rests)
-Dead Lift
-Iso-Lat High Row Hammer Strength Machine
-Lat Pulldown Machine/Bicep curl superset
3. 5 minutes of jump rope
4. 5 minutes of shadowboxing, one minute break
5. 5-minute round of focus mitts, one minute break
6. Three 3-minute rounds of Thai Pads, one minute breaks in between
7. 5 minutes of stretching

Saturday
On her own, 30 minute jog


Any suggestions? What do you guys think? I'm also telling her to eat every 2-3 hours with a diet of 50-60% carbs, 20-25% protien, 20-25% fat. Will this get her in sick shape? She wants to be very toned, but not get huge. Just some muscle, and burn whatever fat she has. Will this be good for her?

Another note: We're going to do the 6-12 rep range for several weeks at first, and I know that puts on size as well as strength. But then we're going to switch to muscle endurance and do 15-30 reps on each set, with 30 second rests and maybe 2-3 sets. This should make her more slim, right? Should she reduce her calories at this time?

[BrandiBurns]

There are a few things I would do differently. And a few errors in design that Im surprised someone with your credentials would do. Thats not meant to be condescending, I just thought kines was like the holy grail of exercise phys.

It has been shown that stretching before exercise increases risk of injury and reduces performance.

I wouldnt put cardio over here and weights over there... I would combine it. I think this is a good opportunity to expand your exercise vocabulary and learn more about circuits.

Also, delegating rest periods doesnt make much sense. My rate of recovery differs from your rate of recovery and even workout to workout. Looking for EPOC makes the most sense, as its a pretty good indicator of HR. You can then control if breathing should return to normal or if you want partial or incomplete recovery. Might be 1min might be 2. might be 30 sec. Even depends on the set.

At the end of the workout is when the stretching will have the most benefit, it should be like 10-20min if your going for the best results. I can see your trying to sequence an hour, Im assuming your doing PT sessions then. I would direct them to continue stretching on their own after, but thats me.

You might want to go to youtube and see how MMA fighters train, get some ideas.

[imperfectly_lou]

I agree with above poster and am surprised as some of the comments in your post, particularly about the 20-30 reps making her "more slim". Unless she has fantstic, mesomorphic genetics, 20-30reps will do absolutely nothing other than produce lactic acid in the muscle fibre. Quite often, women will switch to higher reps, thinking it will help them lose weight or drop body fat and find that they actually lose muscle as their muscles are no longer being suitably challenged (I made that mistake myself before I knew better).

Diet wise, do you have qualifications in nutrition? If not, I would advise against making recommendations. 50-60% carbs is likely to be too high for someone doing only 3hrs of working out per week and if she is wishing to gain muscle, she will need more protein.

[Paul_Rockey]

It has been shown that stretching before exercise increases risk of injury and reduces performance.

"To improve performance and decrease the chance of injury, athletes should use both a warm-up and stretching to prepare for sport or activity participation." -- page 329 of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2nd Edition (the textbook for the CSCS exam I took last year)

Furthermore, in my own personal experience, if I don't slowly move my joints around and stretch for a good 5 to 10 minutes before hitting weights or cardio, my muscles feel tight and I get injured.



I wouldnt put cardio over here and weights over there... I would combine it. I think this is a good opportunity to expand your exercise vocabulary and learn more about circuits.

Also, delegating rest periods doesnt make much sense. My rate of recovery differs from your rate of recovery and even workout to workout. Looking for EPOC makes the most sense, as its a pretty good indicator of HR. You can then control if breathing should return to normal or if you want partial or incomplete recovery. Might be 1min might be 2. might be 30 sec. Even depends on the set.

Page 421 of Essentials in Strength Training and Conditioning has a table that specifically states that you are supposed to rest for 30sec to 1.5min (so average 1 minute) in between sets for hypertrophy. But later, we're going to change into muscle endurance with just 30 sec rests, and later strength with 2-5 minute rests (I like to keep it around 3 minutes). That's what the book says, so I go by the book.

As for mixing the pad work with the weights...maybe, but that's kinda hard to do. And I want to preserve those rest periods, so the client is recovering in between those weight-training sets.



At the end of the workout is when the stretching will have the most benefit, it should be like 10-20min if your going for the best results. I can see your trying to sequence an hour, Im assuming your doing PT sessions then. I would direct them to continue stretching on their own after, but thats me.

Probably a good idea. I should do that for my own workouts, too.



You might want to go to youtube and see how MMA fighters train, get some ideas.

I do it all the time.

[Paul_Rockey]

I agree with above poster and am surprised as some of the comments in your post, particularly about the 20-30 reps making her "more slim". Unless she has fantstic, mesomorphic genetics, 20-30reps will do absolutely nothing other than produce lactic acid in the muscle fibre. Quite often, women will switch to higher reps, thinking it will help them lose weight or drop body fat and find that they actually lose muscle as their muscles are no longer being suitably challenged (I made that mistake myself before I knew better).


Alright, maybe it won't make her slimmer, but I think my CSCS textbook specifically details cycles of lifting where you do 20-30 reps. So I'm going to go by the book and throw a cycle like that in there. It will enhance muscle endurance, if nothing else.



Diet wise, do you have qualifications in nutrition? If not, I would advise against making recommendations. 50-60% carbs is likely to be too high for someone doing only 3hrs of working out per week and if she is wishing to gain muscle, she will need more protein.

Yes, the CSCS textbook specifically talks about nutrition in chapter 12. They say the general guidelines for nutrition are 50%cho, 20%pro, and 30%fat. That varies a little bit depending on the clients goals, but not more than 10%. Just how much percentage of protien were you thinking my client should have?

[BrandiBurns]

wow I just lost a ton of respect for CSCS

[SophieM]

wow I just lost a ton of respect for CSCS

This, 100%.

[Paul_Rockey]

wow I just lost a ton of respect for CSCS

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble. But go check out the book. Then again, they have a 3rd edition now. Maybe everything was wrong in the second edition!

[BrandiBurns]

I dunno, but that kind of training is at min 10 years old. It clearly hasnt been updated.

[Paul_Rockey]

I dunno, but that kind of training is at min 10 years old. It clearly hasnt been updated.

what's your routine, then?

[Net1]

I dunno, but that kind of training is at min 10 years old. It clearly hasnt been updated.

x 2

[BrandiBurns]

what's your routine, then?

Listen no offense but I get paid for that.

[DanceDiva]

Take a look at New Rules of Lifting for Women. Then pass it along to your client.

[LittleCharlie]

I dunno, but that kind of training is at min 10 years old. It clearly hasnt been updated.

Agree totally.

On my course THIS WEEKEND we were told that stretching holds no benefit before exercise.

Developmental stretching AFTER exercise is the way forward, also in the evenings when you've calmed down for the day it can have particular benefits related to relaxation.

[imperfectly_lou]

A good trainer should not rely on one textbook as gospel. A good trainer will be out there, continunally reading new scientific journals and updating their knowledge. You would never write an educational paper or critical review with only one reference would you?

[BrandiBurns]

Agree totally.

On my course THIS WEEKEND we were told that stretching holds no benefit before exercise.

Developmental stretching AFTER exercise is the way forward, also in the evenings when you've calmed down for the day it can have particular benefits related to relaxation.

Are you doing CSCS?

[Paul_Rockey]

Take a look at New Rules of Lifting for Women. Then pass it along to your client.

I'll check that out. I'm ordering it from the bookstore right now, actually.

[chriskav]

"To improve performance and decrease the chance of injury, athletes should use both a warm-up and stretching to prepare for sport or activity participation." -- page 329 of Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2nd Edition (the textbook for the CSCS exam I took last year)

Furthermore, in my own personal experience, if I don't slowly move my joints around and stretch for a good 5 to 10 minutes before hitting weights or cardio, my muscles feel tight and I get injured.



Page 421 of Essentials in Strength Training and Conditioning has a table that specifically states that you are supposed to rest for 30sec to 1.5min (so average 1 minute) in between sets for hypertrophy. But later, we're going to change into muscle endurance with just 30 sec rests, and later strength with 2-5 minute rests (I like to keep it around 3 minutes). That's what the book says, so I go by the book.

As for mixing the pad work with the weights...maybe, but that's kinda hard to do. And I want to preserve those rest periods, so the client is recovering in between those weight-training sets.



Probably a good idea. I should do that for my own workouts, too.



I do it all the time.
Mobilization not stretching before weights,

warm up > mobilization > weights/cardio > cool down > stretching

mobilization would involve arm swings, or doing exercises such as squats, shoulder presses, calf raises etc but with no equipment or weight..

[DistinctChoice]

Agree totally.

On my course THIS WEEKEND we were told that stretching holds no benefit before exercise.

Developmental stretching AFTER exercise is the way forward, also in the evenings when you've calmed down for the day it can have particular benefits related to relaxation.

Agreed. In fact, conventional static stretching causes a neural inhibition of skeletal muscle strength for up to one hour afterwards. Not exactly the best strategy before a workout.

[Paul_Rockey]

Mobilization not stretching before weights,

warm up > mobilization > weights/cardio > cool down > stretching

mobilization would involve arm swings, or doing exercises such as squats, shoulder presses, calf raises etc but with no equipment or weight..

what exactly would you recommend for the warmup then? the standard 5 minutes on the bike? I want to start doing this myself for my own workouts.

If I throw out the static stretching I do for 10 minutes before my workouts, will I have greater kicking power? All I need is a good 10 minutes of moving my limbs around lightly?

[BrandiBurns]

no you do dynamic stretching for kicking power as a warmup. For weights you do physical rehersal

[FeralGoth]

Agree totally.

On my course THIS WEEKEND we were told that stretching holds no benefit before exercise.

Developmental stretching AFTER exercise is the way forward, also in the evenings when you've calmed down for the day it can have particular benefits related to relaxation.

So nice to hear this - I always felt.... "weird" and "wrong" when I stretched a lot before strength training - now I have a good reasons to not do it - will do some of my own research of course, but still..... no problems stretching afterwards of course!!!

[TrainSmartWorld]

ditto to all the above

but also I wouldn't put her on a bodybuilding/bodypart split

CSCS is very respectable but as the above said---1 book is not the holy grail
you should read and learn from many different reputable sources and use what you need for each specific clients.....after you have more experience you will develop your approach which is typically a combination of many things----not just from a book

I went to school for Kinesiology as well but to be honest----it was a joke and very outdated----I learned more from going to continuing ed conferences

[Paul_Rockey]

no you do dynamic stretching for kicking power as a warmup. For weights you do physical rehersal

Holy crap! I tried that today, before I ran this morning, and before I went to Muay Thai class at night. I didn't do any static stretching, just a light warmup on the bike for 5 minutes and then movement rehearsal and dynamic stretching (like arm and leg swings to loosen up everything). And...I felt great! And I didn't get injured! Wow, I'm amazed. I made sure everything felt loose though before I blasted during my run or blasted kicks on the thai pads. And then at the very end of the workout was when I did my static stretching for a good 10 minutes.

Thank you. I'll pass this down to my clients and friends.

[hoverfly]

Client: Female wanting to get stronger, toned, and lose a little bit of body fat, and who used to enjoy martial arts. She is in her late 20's and is just starting to become active again. Not overweight at all, but hasn't been consistantly physcially active in months.


I'd add at least 2 sessions of core work per week. (If you listed it, I apologize as I must have missed it.) As an alternative, you could send to her a Pilates class--Pilates seems excellent for core.

I consider core work vital to training, especially when just starting out or if you have a sedentary job (desk job). And, very important for sports (running, cycling, swimming)--but I am a triathlete so my training outlook is likely somewhat different than that of body building athletes.