Eavesdropping on a trainer at the gym...

[Lynn M.]

Hi everybody-

While I was in the gym this week, I was eavesdropping on one of the trainers there coaching her client.

The trainer was telling the lady the only cardio she should do is anaerobic interval cardio training, no steady state cardio at all. Her reasoning is that the anaerobic training doesn't burn muscle mass for energy like steady state training does.

Her suggestion to the woman ( who was about 50, and didn't look to be very advanced in fitness,) was to do interval running sprints and also circuit training.

I'm wondering what you all think of the trainer's advice. Does it make sense to only do anaerobic training for cardio so that you can maintain muscle mass? I've always thought that a calorie burned is a calorie burned.

Also, doesn't your body use the easiest form of energy for fuel first? I'm thinking this would be your glycogen stores and then it goes to fat stores, and then muscle stores last? What difference would it make on what form of cardio you did? ( I'm not talking about extreme endurance cardio, ie marathoners etc.)

Would be curious to hear you input..

Take care, Lynn M.

 

[SRP]

Lynn - I just finished reading "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. One thing they said is that, if you have a routine that splits cardio and weights down the middle - 3 days endurance cardio, 3 days weights - the body will choose endurance over gaining muscle mass.

But in my personal experience, that is fine. I'm not particularly interested in gaining a lot of muscle mass. I have pretty good strength, and I really think cardiovascular endurance is important. And of course, that book is directed to weight lifters who's main goal is mass. I'm all for overall fitness.

As for the trainer's advice to a 50-yr-old, out of condition woman, I don't think it's very good. It sounds to me like that woman should work towards general, overall fitness, and that intense interval training would be too hard for her. Just my 2 cents worth... or maybe a few cents more...

 

[Clarissa]

Without knowing every detail of the client, of course, it is hard to say if it was good advice or not. You are saying the client didn't look to be in great shape - from an outsiders perspective first of all, then, I would say No, that was not great advice for her. However w/ respect to the trainer's rationale - yes she is correct in that. Carbohydrates are the only fuel burned in the anaerobic system. In continuous steady state training - aerobic - fuel is tapped from carbs, fats, and then protein (muscle) if necessary. But from what I learned in my studies is that it takes a lot to tap into the muscle proteins - it is used as a last resort. So, anyway, it probably was not great advice to a person in general fitness, unless the client's goal was to gain mass.
Clarissa

 

[andtckrtoo]

The problem with many trainers at gyms is that they've gone through a short course, and have been taught only the latest research and right now HIIT is the "IN" thing. I've seen trainers (especially the younger ones) do things with older, obviously new clients that make me cringe. I saw one girl lead an older man through a lunge and twist (with a body bar on his shoulders) and she pushed him through it even when he obviously had trouble with the lunge alone.

Now don't get me wrong. There are wonderful trainers at most gyms, but they tend to be the older ones. The best at my gym is 50 year old over weight Russian man who really knows what he's talking about.

 

[lesliew]

Christine, don't you just want to jump in and say something when you see that at the gym? As far as that trainer's advice, if that woman is new to fitness I'm not sure I'd suggest HIIT and only HIIT. Interval training is tough and even though I'm younger and have been working out for years, there's no way I could do effective HIIT more than a couple days a week, at the most. To set her up for such intensity may only lead to discouragment and burn out. Not to mention an injury if she doesn't condition her body to work at that level.

 

[Lynn M.]

Hi there-

I'm so glad that you guys are on the same page as me as far as that trainer's advice.

The trainer is pretty young and does compete in figure contests. So, I think her "focus" is what works for her, not necessarily what works for her clients.

What makes it even more funny (not in a "ha-ha" way) is that our gym is owned and run by the hospital in our area that is know for "cardiac health", its not really so much a "muscle-head" type of environment.

Thanks for your input and comments everyone!! Lynn M.