what are the best exercises for training obese clients?

[bally111010]

I have a new client who is obese and we have sat through his consultation and went through all of his goals etc, he wants to lose at least a stone we have agreed a realistic time frame for this goal, his first session i just took him on the treadmill at a steady walk as his HR was increasing rapidly so didnt want to over do it, then took him through a few exercises with the medicine ball standing torso twists, chest presses etc, just wanting some advice on more techniques to do with him as dont want to do walking lunges or anything like that just yet as his weight is a big issue any help would be greatly appreciated, even though we only done little exercise he loved his first session

[Cytrainer913]

Anything that gets him to use many muscle groups at one time!

If you have anything he can push around the gym, trying to walk on hands and legs, even squats where he could try and squat his bodyweight holding onto a bar and down onto a box that is deep enough. Ab exercises can be minimally done as they only burn small amounts of cals and if you use bigger movements the core will work during them.

We have a separate room here with turf and I have them push the sled over and over again. Use battling ropes and slowly increases their volume as they get a base underneath them, Lunges can be done if stationary and help them to stabilize with a piece of equipment and pulse up and down.

[wheels30]

Sit to stand up- concentrate on technique- chest up and butt back, arch the back. 1-3 sets of 5 to 10-
Stand on one leg- 1- 3 sets of holds of 10-30 seconds
Squat holds- 1-3 sets, core tight, focus on form- holds of 10-30 seconds
Any type of press- 1-3 sets of 10
Any pull- 1-3 sets of 10
Core- Planks on elbows or hands from knees with holds of 5-15 seconds focusing on keeping core tight. I would stay away from twisting motions because of back health from possibly being sedentary.
Cardio, short intervals with longer rest. Set treadmill at comfortable walking pace and increase incline for 10 seconds, 15 seconds, and so forth.

Training obese clients or sedentary population is all about teaching form and having them to feel comfortable with an elevated heart rate. It is also very rewarding because of rapid improvements they will see.

Also remember to monitor intensity by heart rate or RPE scale and be sure of there health history.

Good Luck!

[JoeCannonMSCSCS]

while you should work within his/her tolerance level, I recommend circuit training as this will cause less DOMS, be easiest on the joints, is not boring and will let you get a good overall workout to maximize his/her time in the gym. Feel free to toss in cardio stations (bike etc) in the strength training circuit

Joe

[Keltron]

I would also say that you'd want to minimize things that would need them to get on the ground and get off the ground. Depending on how obese they are, this simple task can be difficult AND a bit humiliating.

[bally111010]

Thanks for the info guys some of the stuff mentioned i am allready doing, but will try the other things out with him, appreciate the help

[fuggew]

Anything that gets him to use many muscle groups at one time!

I'm going to agree and disagree. One problem with obesity and weight loss is that obesity is a lifestyle. In order to really combat obesity you have to change your lifestyle, and for me at least, it means training everyday. Training a lot of compound exercises, I admit, is superior for fitness, however, you can't do deadlifts and squats everyday, you'll burn out.
I suggest HST, that way he can train regularly, daily, make fitness part of his lifestyle. Once he can see his muscles, more of the compound exercises should be great, so he can train less frequently with weights and add some sports to his regime.
I'm not yet allowed to post links here, haven't had enough regular posts. However, take your client to youtube and show him the diary of this guy Mr40by40
This is a video blog over a couple years of an obese guy doing HST.

[popupwindow]

Nutritional and lifestyle changes should be the #1 focus.

Most exercises can be easily regressed to virtually anyone. Pushups in the smith machine with the bar at waist or chest height, inverted rows at a shallow angle, squats to a high bench, holding a pole/rack for assistance if needed, plank with arms on a bench, rack pulls from knee height, band based stuff (using a miniband), band shoulder presses, band pull aparts, band rows, band chest press, band good mornings, band pushdowns, band curls - low stress, but pumps some blood and gets them moving a bit. So you might do 1-3 sets of 5-10 for box squats, rack pulls, assisted pushups, inverted rows, then do some bench planks, and maybe a few band exercises inbetween sets of the main exercises, or as a mini-circuit at the end. Remember their capacity will be very low, so starting with 1-2 sets of each and a 20-30 minute session might be more than enough initially. Add reps and sets over time, once they can blow through 3-4 sets of 10 or so without much effort, lower the bar to change the angle and make things harder, add some weight etc.

I'd recommend against machines for very large people as they often don't accommodate them, such as the handles on a chest press machine often aren't far enough apart, although it depends on how obese they are. Floor stuff is also a bad idea for aforementioned reasons.

[Havepurpose]

I am also a personal trainer with an obese client that I have been training since the end of January this year and as well as bing obese she also has had to knee replacements!! CHALLENGING! A lot of the exercises are done in a chair but she is improving her strength and mobility! I trainer her in her home and use mostly resistance bands and small weights. Client can not get down on the ground to do anytype of exercises as of yet, she does not leave her home much so really trying to push her out side her comfort zone and get her to go for a short walk with me! Client uses a walker so is embarrassed to be seen in her neighbourhood pushing a walker. Any ideas you can give me to change things up and get more results I would appreciate it!!

[Ronin4help]

Getting her to walk without her walker is one of your highest priorities, along with weight reduction and self esteem improvement. Stay focused on these goals and it will help narrow down the exercise program you prescribe. Lose focus and you will waste time having her doing triceps exercises, delt exercises and so on. Develop a 'goal' plan and stay committed to it regardless of the boredom and mundaneness that will inevitably follow.

[Jackal005]

farmers walks/suitcase carries would probably be good (or any kind of loaded carry). Partial depth box squats too, and maybe kettlebell sumo deadlifts if they can get low enough (or just raise the kettebell using a box).

Also, if you have access to an adjustable cable system you could do a lot of rowing variations - set the cable high and put them in a half-kneel to replicate a vertical pull. You could also do pallofs and other anti-rotation movements to get their core working.

I would really aim to get the initial weight off them using good nutritional coaching and basic movements like the ones listed above, then focus on teaching them good technique on the big 3 lifts + some kind of horizontal row. Once they can do that I would get them on some kind of 3x5 style routine focusing on those lifts with the rest of my focus being on developing core strength/stability.

[Ronin4help]

farmers walks/suitcase carries would probably be good (or any kind of loaded carry). Partial depth box squats too, and maybe kettlebell sumo deadlifts if they can get low enough (or just raise the kettebell using a box).

Also, if you have access to an adjustable cable system you could do a lot of rowing variations - set the cable high and put them in a half-kneel to replicate a vertical pull. You could also do pallofs and other anti-rotation movements to get their core working.

I would really aim to get the initial weight off them using good nutritional coaching and basic movements like the ones listed above, then focus on teaching them good technique on the big 3 lifts + some kind of horizontal row. Once they can do that I would get them on some kind of 3x5 style routine focusing on those lifts with the rest of my focus being on developing core strength/stability.

Good advice.

[Jaegur]

I hope it's okay if I ask you guys a question - I'm an obese guy and a trainer I met worked out a plan for me over the Internet, which I've been doing a few months.

Now the question! Is there a reason I, as a fat guy, am doing 10 reps as opposed to 8? I only ask because I feel like I can lift a little heavier if I'm only doing 8. Sometimes getting those last two are killer. Also, when I get home this evening I can share my plan.

Oh, and the person that said sit down to stand up - you're a sadistic mother. When I first started doing those, with a Kettle bell, they KICKED MY ASS. So yeah, have him do those. They hurt at the start, but they work. In fact, I need to figure out what to do to make them harder, as they don't hurt like they used to.

[Ronin4help]

I hope it's okay if I ask you guys a question - I'm an obese guy and a trainer I met worked out a plan for me over the Internet, which I've been doing a few months.

Now the question! Is there a reason I, as a fat guy, am doing 10 reps as opposed to 8? I only ask because I feel like I can lift a little heavier if I'm only doing 8. Sometimes getting those last two are killer. Also, when I get home this evening I can share my plan.

Oh, and the person that said sit down to stand up - you're a sadistic mother. When I first started doing those, with a Kettle bell, they KICKED MY ASS. So yeah, have him do those. They hurt at the start, but they work. In fact, I need to figure out what to do to make them harder, as they don't hurt like they used to.

You shouldn't even being doing ten. Your reps should be in the 20-30 range. Overloading your muscles is not a priority for you. Caloric expenditure is.

[Jaegur]

You shouldn't even being doing ten. Your reps should be in the 20-30 range. Overloading your muscles is not a priority for you. Caloric expenditure is.

So would say... Two sets of 8 at a heavier weight would be better for me? Like, 2 sets of 8 at 90 lbs vs 3 sets of 10 at 80.

[Ronin4help]

So would say... Two sets of 8 at a heavier weight would be better for me? Like, 2 sets of 8 at 90 lbs vs 3 sets of 10 at 80.

The sets should not drop. Stay at three. The 8 w/90 would be better if the form is still good at 7 AND you wish to increase strength and size.

[Jaegur]

The sets should not drop. Stay at three. The 8 w/90 would be better if the form is still good at 7 AND you wish to increase strength and size.

Sweet, thank you!

[Ronin4help]

Keep lifting brother.

[BC02]

Bench,squats,rows.deadlifts,shoulder presses.dips

[Ronin4help]

Bench,squats,rows.deadlifts,shoulder presses.dips

What is this? Just a group of random exercises you threw together?

[amsgator]

Bench,squats,rows.deadlifts,shoulder presses.dips

Is this what ACE is teaching these days?

[SchwererGustaf]

Alright. So transformation is a package deal. I only know what I have done, so i'll drop it here. It'll take some time, but I hope it's worth reading. It has worked for me. Is working for me.


I used to be 40-45% fat at 286 lbs/130 kilos. Wobbly does not even begin to describe what I was. Sure, seen tons of people who are/were worse, but it still was pretty bad. My face got deathly pale from walking to the bus stop for two minutes. Well, what can I say. I was always a foodie, still am. Just that I care about getting it right for training more than anything now.

My picture is a bit over one month old now, been training for a bit over a year since I was grossly overweight. Now I have a little stomach fat when I sit down, but I mostly just look strong. Another year, who knows. Didn't and don't take any performance enhancing drugs, by the way. For about six months I just went hard, I went into the gym and I knew absolutely nothing. I had periods of downtime, where I didn't train at all. But somehow I came back and it became something I wanted to do rather than a chore. I thought I knew things, but I didn't, so I did tons of mistakes. I had tried training stuff before, even weight lifting in a pretty non-serious manner. I didn't know about stuff like hypertrophy, I didn't even do sets and reps. After a while I kind of got better at it. Started doing heavy sets of five, I learned what 1RM means. I learned that isometrics is damn important. Then I started taking a look at Ben Pakulski and what he preaches: 8-12 reps, 2 seconds initial, 4 seconds isometric per rep. Say you're doing a bent over row, the pulling movement is 2 seconds, the way back is 4. Don't quote me on that, but I think that's what he said, and that's what i've done. It works. Rest between sets is maximum 40 seconds. Always full range of motion, always study rep technique closely before doing something. Tell them the importance of NOT WATCHING GYM BROS IN THE GYM, watch IFBB pros like Ben Pakulski or Jeff Cavaliere from AthleanX on youtube instead. Most times some gym bros get most things right, but you can never know when you copy a move that is downright devastating for joints or just ineffective. Don't watch idiots who do fast reps with reckless form or ego lifters. Tell them the difference between powerlifters who just wants to move a high weight number for the shortest possible distance and a guy that wants to build a physique. If they are the reading kind, have them read something like Arnold's bodybuilding bible. Watch Generation Iron and Pumping Iron. Instill some DREAMS. Should work right enough on most men, if they have any potential at all. There are people who are just hopeless, who have no will. Most of these will be fat to begin with. Some fat people are fat for other reasons. Like being chefs (hey!).

For really fat people, machines as far as possible until they are comfortable being in a gym AT ALL. Then progress to the mighty deadlift. If they can squat, squat. If they can't, do the leg press. Nobody is too fat to bench press. Train with dumbbells. Barbells can be used in many ways. Cable machines are my personal favorite and will always be.

Also, the few must-get-supplements:
- Multivitamin
- Omega-3
- Whey protein
- Pre-workout (if they take it, they have to train. Makes it easier on tired days. It's a mental thing.)
- BCAAs
- Creatine


Food-wise, you can't lose all that fat in one go. You'll break down long before that is achieved. Your body HATES being on a deficit. The best thing to do is to explain the situation to the subject, that they likely have to get some muscle before they lose fat, since muscle burns fat and that they likely have very little. Very fat people tend to have strong legs, though, just in order to carry all of that weight around. If they move at all. How spry they are is a good indication. Breaking it down into cycles is best, most definitely. It is a long, long journey since it was a problem that took years to create in the first place.

During the autumn and winter of 2015, when I got more serious about lifting, I was on a low carb diet. Not necessarily high fat, it was pretty much meat/fish/chicken, vegetables, berries, a little fruit, milk products, 100 grams (4 scoops) whey protein daily and vitamins. After a while I added BCAAs and noticed a big difference in recovery. The kind I use is 8:1:1. I don't really go strict on how long and short my cycles are. Right now I am trying to heal after a slipping accident, so I eat to my hearts content without overdoing it. Meaning I eat carbs, protein and fats according to macros or thereabouts. I constantly eat around approx. 150 grams of protein from food and another 100-200 grams from whey daily. 100 if I skip breakfast, 200 if I don't. Looking something like this:

Morning: whey 4 scoops. Sometimes overnight oatmeal with peanut butter. Alternately kefir, yoghurt or "fil" (swedish kefir/yoghurt type fermented milk). Multivitamin number 1.
Midway to lunch: can of mackerel or tuna. (I wash off the tomato sauce, brine or whatever it is packed in).
Lunch: chicken breast, fresh vegetables, pasta. Multivitamin number 2.
Midway to dinner or after workout: 4 scoops of whey protein. After workout I often eat a handful of raisins (not a packed giant fist, just a little) or a banana along with the shake.
Dinner: chicken breast again, vegetables again, pasta. Multivitamin number 3.
Evening snack: often cheese of some kind, because it has casein, which digests slowly. Nowadays I also take glutamine and a T-booster before bed. The latter is experimental, can't endorse it yet.

(2 scoops BCAAs and one scoop creatine during workout. Pre-workout on tired days.)

How to cut down on this: remove carb sources completely except for half a banana or something like that right after heavy training. Skip breakfast. It's not dangerous. Switch breakfast for BCAAs, no calories. Eat tuna instead of mackerel for the midway snack. Tuna is leaner. Remove all forms of sauce. Eat slightly smaller portions. Voilá, deficit!

Yeah, I used chicken as an example. I am not saying that I ONLY EAT CHICKEN. Well, it is almost true that I mostly eat chicken. But I do eat quite a bit of beef, lamb and fish. I have eaten too much pork and i'm actually pretty tired of the taste. Since I can afford to not eat it nowadays, I don't. Also there's the inflammatory response thing about pork that doesn't have me sold completely, either. It doesn't feel healthy. Nothing religious. I do occasionally eat it, though.

Anyway! Work out 5-6 days per week for approximately 60 minutes. No bloody treadmills or ass-destroyer bicycles. Just the weights. Keep the tempo high, don't bring a bloody book to the gym. I saw some wanker hipster reading some atheist crap for five minutes between ridiculously light sets of 4 reps or so a while back. Wanted to punch him. Don't punch the gymtards. It is poor exercise form and takes time away from your sets. Walk to and from the gym if possible at a brisk pace, good warmup and cooldown. Again, no punching of gymtards, even if you want to. Bring whey and shaker in backpack, drink right after training so you don't get caught up in mundane **** at home. Go home. Eat. Eating too much is very seldom a problem if you train hard for 60 minutes 5-6 times per week. That should see the fat come off and muscle coming on.

Stress the importance of cooking in bulk. I usually cook like 8 pounds/4 kilos of chicken breasts in a go. Bit of olive oil, sea salt, oregano, cayenne pepper and chia seeds. If I absolutely have to have sauce, I use turkish yoghurt and throw in some chopped fresh or dried mint, cilantro, a little cucumber, salt and cayenne. Which is basically the traditional Indian sauce called Raita. It's awesome.

Last but not least, and what I am absolutely the worst at sometimes... SLEEP. Right now I blame it all on the flu, but I am still up at 6.41 AM writing this. Been sleeping for like 16-18 hours a day for a few days now. Normally my sleep pattern is okay, though.
No electronic bull**** after 8 PM is ideal, but hard to follow strictly. Go to bed early, turn light off early and do absolutely nothing. That time before sleep is important, it helps in mentally sorting out everything that happened during the day. If used to doing things until dropping dead asleep, the brain is going to have a lot of catching up to do and it will be hard for a few days or more. Then your brain will normalize and you will actually feel quite a bit better.

So, that is my rambling package. I might have forgotten a thing or two, but the important stuff should be there.

[BC02]

What is this? Just a group of random exercises you threw together?

nope. multi joint exercises that use a lot of muscle. he asked what exercises were good for obese clients so I gave them to him

[BC02]

Is this what ACE is teaching these days?

yes. multijoint exercises are best for muscle gain/weight loss

[Ronin4help]

nope. multi joint exercises that use a lot of muscle. he asked what exercises were good for obese clients so I gave them to him

Ok. Fair enough. What is the physiological benefit of utilizing multiple joints simultaneously in relation to fat loss?

[Jackal005]

Bench,squats,rows.deadlifts,shoulder presses.dips

I don't think an obese person is going to have much luck performing dips.

[BC02]

I don't think an obese person is going to have much luck performing dips.

assisted

[Ronin4help]

assisted

Selecting the wrong counterweight can be catastrophic. The trainer wont make this mistake, but the client could when he/she tries to show off to a friend or family member how he/she trains with his/her trainer via a brief gym walk through and demo. I wouldn't give assisted dips to a beginner because once they are up on the machine, there is no safety component if things go wrong upon descend. With a pulley or DB, the client can simply let go.

[BC02]

^I have my obese clients use it all the time,incl. a 300 lb fm. I give them copies of their workouts so they know what weight to use when not with me.all my clients have no problem with asst dips except my 300 lb fm.she doesnt do them without me, but she even can almost do an asst dip at the easiest weight so she will be soon.

[Ronin4help]

^I have my obese clients use it all the time,incl. a 300 lb fm. I give them copies of their workouts so they know what weight to use when not with me.all my clients have no problem with asst dips except my 300 lb fm.she doesnt do them without me, but she even can almost do an asst dip at the easiest weight so she will be soon.

No one has a problem... until someone has a problem. Then it will be up to you to justify why you used that machine over a dumbbell or pulley exercise of equivalent relevance.