Building Your House
a beginners guide insight into the gym
By Steve Blades aka Toxictoffee, Personal Trainer and Muscletalk Mod
After many newbie questions i have decided to write a small piece on some FAQs and mistakes made by the new trainer and how to overcome them in the initial period of training. take 10 minutes out and have a read
I bought a new sofa and chair I had been saving up for ages, it really made my living room feel homely and comfortable. I had been saving for the pair for months and finally my house was complete, now I can enjoy it with knowing I had waited and earned my rewards. These two pieces of furniture were the icing on the cake to what has been a long road of hard work, sweat, grime, persistence and scrimping and saving to make the home of my dreams. Now I own my own house, with my own big TV, my own chairs and all my little gadgets to keep me happy. I am pleased to show it off to those who come round even though I have been struggling for years to pay for it. It makes me happy every time I drive home from a day working in the gym to know I have worked hard for it and it was all my own doing.
I was speaking to a young lad a while back in the gym where I was working. He asked me as, the personal trainer, which supplements he needed to get big. As many of you will know I am a straight talking no bull sh1t kind of guy. I burst out laughing as this young 18 year old, 100lb wet through lad babbled on about all the supplements on the planet as if they were magic beans. I let him finish what almost sounded like a marketing speech straight off the shopping channel. I took my hand and placed it on his shoulder….”slow down” I said. He butted in with some comment about needing to know the answer. As I was dieting at the time I then stopped him abruptly and spent the next hour quizzing him, trying to work out the mentality that seems inherent in the newbie gym trainer in the 21st century.
“What are you training today?” I asked politely, once I had regained my composure. I didn’t need to ask really, I knew, it was arms of course. I had seen the same young lad banging out the reps on isolation exercise after exercise the day before. “Bicepts” was the response. This young lad had probably never performed a compound movement in his life yet thought the way to the body of an Adonis was through curl after curl.
I kind of knew this was where we were going and he continued to try and steer the conversation back onto the magic beans he could see on the shelf in the background. I tried to move him away, guiding him onto the gym floor, I proceeded to ‘load’ the Olympic bar with a 2.5kg plate either side. I suggested that if he gave me 20 minutes of his time I would buy him a shake from the fridge at the end. I rarely do anything for nothing in the gym but this was a lesson that had to be taught by myself and learnt by the young lad
“20 minutes?” he asked, giggling thinking he was in for an easy ride. In my mind I already had the squats, deads, flat bench and bent over row laid out to finish him off. It was possibly not the best set up but I wanted to really ensure that these multi joint killers would put a stop to the theory that its all about bicep curls and potions and lotions being the be all and end all of getting big.
I ran through the technique of each, performing a couple of reps myself and then ushering him into position and encouraging him as we went into each set. Watching someone deadlift for the first time is great, it simply tells a story, the story of building mass, the pain, the sickness but the joy of slamming the reps out to near failure. 25 kilos on this bar had little Tommy in a mess, 10 reps down and he dropped the bar quicker than you could say creatine. Ass to the grass squats with his legs ready to buckle under the ‘stress’ of 25 kilos, which ironically was the same weight he was swinging round the day before on his bicep curls.
After 20 minutes, repping out squats, deads, bench presses and rows the poor lad looked like he had done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. Priceless
“Fancy a shake?” I asked. His response was a little muffled but I think it was negative and somewhere along the lines of the ‘magic beans’ being the last thing on his mind.
I sent him home “sans PWO” to have a think where this would take him.
Next day Tommy come into the gym looking like he had been auditioning for a role in a John Wayne remake. “You ok mate?” I asked. The response was a little sheepish but with almost a sadistic smile he said “that was ace”
“Too right it was Tommy” that’s bodybuilding. Four exercises, 20 minutes had done more for him than the last 6 months of isolation after isolation.
I have taken Tommy under my wing. When he asks about the new powder on the market I take him back to my story about the chairs in my house and he soon realises where we are going.
“Would you train me then?” he asked. I took a moment to think it through. This could be a great advert for my training as I could get this guy looking good if he nailed his diet and could get him lifting big over the next 6 months or so
“Ok, I said” with a little hesitation “if I am going to do it you must bring in your diet for 3 days, in time form, what days you train and general info on your lifestyle”
Tommy agreed to this, even though he was still looking over my shoulder at the glutamine on the shelf, I was sure I could change this mentality once we got going.
Wednesday night, he came in, loads of paper in hand and passed me his diet. I sat down, had a look “it’s ok though I am taking those shakes with it” he informed me once he saw me looking like a parent who had just been handed the letter from the headmaster. I don’t expect everyone who trains to know about nutrition and the ins and outs of a mass building diet, but some appreciation would be nice seeing as he was clued up on all the brand supplements under the sun. When I scanned Tommy’s eating habits it simply resembled that of a Z list celeb on a famine like diet. The odd mars bar here and glass of milk to wash down the ready meal.
These are the people I love to work with. They are so easy to make gains with because there training is so wrong, their diet is non existent and they are so malleable you can morph them into well built, strong lads in no time.
I started talking EFAs, root veg, lean protein and he looked through me and I had the impression I was being ignored. He butted in “but which pills should I have?” I told him I had some, they were called reality pills and he was going to be fed them and fed them frequently. I started to become stern with him and explain at quality physique doesn’t comes easily. “Build your house and furnish it later” I shouted thinking of my two seats I had recently purchased, working months for in the process. ”lets get one thing straight” I bellowed “if you want to swing around doing bicep curls and eating fast food, go ahead, if you want the gains, shut up, sit down and listen”
Over the next few months Tommy and I worked together. We changed the diet around to make it fun, sustainable but ensure adequate macro and micronutrients were being consumed at key times to facilitate growth and a healthy existence. Machines in the main were weeded out for the free weight alternative. The word isolation was something to describe a hermit living on an island, not something we would base our routine around. The word compound was flavour of the month, deads, squats, bench, dips, rows, SLDLs, pressing became second nature and the language we used from there on in. People would ask Tommy what he was up to when he was in and out of the gym in 40 minutes. Why wasn’t he here more than 3 times a week? What was he eating?
Questions were being asked by his peer group and gym goers of all types. He must be on the steroid shake thingies. This turned into our personal joke between sets, sets Tommy wanted to push on with, I simply became gym monkey and spotter as he ploughed through the weights and the poundage went up and up. A few times in the early days he piped up with “have you seen that new supplement Ronnie has?” I didn’t respond and merely ushered him on to the next exercise with the look of a pissed off parent. The gym bag he brought in started to become rammed with Tupperware full of chicken and broccoli, pasta and tuna and the PWO shaker loaded with all the aminos and carbs his body craves. Gone were the glossy magazines with adverts galore. He knows what to do and simply writes down every session in a small book, watching the weights increase month by month
Tommy is no longer a newbie, he has moved beyond the honeymoon period as I call it. This period is where the body simply loves to change shape, rapid gains appear and the crazy idea of the simultaneous cut and bulk comes in. people strip fat and build muscle. No pills, no potions, simply stimulating muscles and regulating their eating habits. People have begged Tommy for his training plan; they would love to know which magic beans he has. The answer is simple, none, quality eating habits, commitment and appreciation of hard training and understanding that the bodybuilding game is a long road. Unlike everything in today’s society the body cannot be bought. No 0% finance and pay sometime later. This is about the long hard road. Supplements that claim to add X% amount to your strength. So what if they do? Without the diet in place, without the training plan adhered to week in week out this means nothing. I didn’t just go and put my two new chairs on a building site and sit there did I? I called in the architects, I had the house designed, the labourers built it over a long period of time and then we decorated it. Then and only then were we ready for the TV and chairs. I can’t live with a chair alone, what use is a TV if I have to have it outdoors?
Yes supplements help, but they are just that, they supplement a diet, don’t rely on them, don’t think they will get you the body you want, its not going to happen.
Anyway enough of my story telling it never was my forte. What is my forte is training newbies and answering their questions, so below are some examples of what I here and my take on them
a beginners guide insight into the gym
By Steve Blades aka Toxictoffee, Personal Trainer and Muscletalk Mod
After many newbie questions i have decided to write a small piece on some FAQs and mistakes made by the new trainer and how to overcome them in the initial period of training. take 10 minutes out and have a read
I bought a new sofa and chair I had been saving up for ages, it really made my living room feel homely and comfortable. I had been saving for the pair for months and finally my house was complete, now I can enjoy it with knowing I had waited and earned my rewards. These two pieces of furniture were the icing on the cake to what has been a long road of hard work, sweat, grime, persistence and scrimping and saving to make the home of my dreams. Now I own my own house, with my own big TV, my own chairs and all my little gadgets to keep me happy. I am pleased to show it off to those who come round even though I have been struggling for years to pay for it. It makes me happy every time I drive home from a day working in the gym to know I have worked hard for it and it was all my own doing.
I was speaking to a young lad a while back in the gym where I was working. He asked me as, the personal trainer, which supplements he needed to get big. As many of you will know I am a straight talking no bull sh1t kind of guy. I burst out laughing as this young 18 year old, 100lb wet through lad babbled on about all the supplements on the planet as if they were magic beans. I let him finish what almost sounded like a marketing speech straight off the shopping channel. I took my hand and placed it on his shoulder….”slow down” I said. He butted in with some comment about needing to know the answer. As I was dieting at the time I then stopped him abruptly and spent the next hour quizzing him, trying to work out the mentality that seems inherent in the newbie gym trainer in the 21st century.
“What are you training today?” I asked politely, once I had regained my composure. I didn’t need to ask really, I knew, it was arms of course. I had seen the same young lad banging out the reps on isolation exercise after exercise the day before. “Bicepts” was the response. This young lad had probably never performed a compound movement in his life yet thought the way to the body of an Adonis was through curl after curl.
I kind of knew this was where we were going and he continued to try and steer the conversation back onto the magic beans he could see on the shelf in the background. I tried to move him away, guiding him onto the gym floor, I proceeded to ‘load’ the Olympic bar with a 2.5kg plate either side. I suggested that if he gave me 20 minutes of his time I would buy him a shake from the fridge at the end. I rarely do anything for nothing in the gym but this was a lesson that had to be taught by myself and learnt by the young lad
“20 minutes?” he asked, giggling thinking he was in for an easy ride. In my mind I already had the squats, deads, flat bench and bent over row laid out to finish him off. It was possibly not the best set up but I wanted to really ensure that these multi joint killers would put a stop to the theory that its all about bicep curls and potions and lotions being the be all and end all of getting big.
I ran through the technique of each, performing a couple of reps myself and then ushering him into position and encouraging him as we went into each set. Watching someone deadlift for the first time is great, it simply tells a story, the story of building mass, the pain, the sickness but the joy of slamming the reps out to near failure. 25 kilos on this bar had little Tommy in a mess, 10 reps down and he dropped the bar quicker than you could say creatine. Ass to the grass squats with his legs ready to buckle under the ‘stress’ of 25 kilos, which ironically was the same weight he was swinging round the day before on his bicep curls.
After 20 minutes, repping out squats, deads, bench presses and rows the poor lad looked like he had done 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. Priceless
“Fancy a shake?” I asked. His response was a little muffled but I think it was negative and somewhere along the lines of the ‘magic beans’ being the last thing on his mind.
I sent him home “sans PWO” to have a think where this would take him.
Next day Tommy come into the gym looking like he had been auditioning for a role in a John Wayne remake. “You ok mate?” I asked. The response was a little sheepish but with almost a sadistic smile he said “that was ace”
“Too right it was Tommy” that’s bodybuilding. Four exercises, 20 minutes had done more for him than the last 6 months of isolation after isolation.
I have taken Tommy under my wing. When he asks about the new powder on the market I take him back to my story about the chairs in my house and he soon realises where we are going.
“Would you train me then?” he asked. I took a moment to think it through. This could be a great advert for my training as I could get this guy looking good if he nailed his diet and could get him lifting big over the next 6 months or so
“Ok, I said” with a little hesitation “if I am going to do it you must bring in your diet for 3 days, in time form, what days you train and general info on your lifestyle”
Tommy agreed to this, even though he was still looking over my shoulder at the glutamine on the shelf, I was sure I could change this mentality once we got going.
Wednesday night, he came in, loads of paper in hand and passed me his diet. I sat down, had a look “it’s ok though I am taking those shakes with it” he informed me once he saw me looking like a parent who had just been handed the letter from the headmaster. I don’t expect everyone who trains to know about nutrition and the ins and outs of a mass building diet, but some appreciation would be nice seeing as he was clued up on all the brand supplements under the sun. When I scanned Tommy’s eating habits it simply resembled that of a Z list celeb on a famine like diet. The odd mars bar here and glass of milk to wash down the ready meal.
These are the people I love to work with. They are so easy to make gains with because there training is so wrong, their diet is non existent and they are so malleable you can morph them into well built, strong lads in no time.
I started talking EFAs, root veg, lean protein and he looked through me and I had the impression I was being ignored. He butted in “but which pills should I have?” I told him I had some, they were called reality pills and he was going to be fed them and fed them frequently. I started to become stern with him and explain at quality physique doesn’t comes easily. “Build your house and furnish it later” I shouted thinking of my two seats I had recently purchased, working months for in the process. ”lets get one thing straight” I bellowed “if you want to swing around doing bicep curls and eating fast food, go ahead, if you want the gains, shut up, sit down and listen”
Over the next few months Tommy and I worked together. We changed the diet around to make it fun, sustainable but ensure adequate macro and micronutrients were being consumed at key times to facilitate growth and a healthy existence. Machines in the main were weeded out for the free weight alternative. The word isolation was something to describe a hermit living on an island, not something we would base our routine around. The word compound was flavour of the month, deads, squats, bench, dips, rows, SLDLs, pressing became second nature and the language we used from there on in. People would ask Tommy what he was up to when he was in and out of the gym in 40 minutes. Why wasn’t he here more than 3 times a week? What was he eating?
Questions were being asked by his peer group and gym goers of all types. He must be on the steroid shake thingies. This turned into our personal joke between sets, sets Tommy wanted to push on with, I simply became gym monkey and spotter as he ploughed through the weights and the poundage went up and up. A few times in the early days he piped up with “have you seen that new supplement Ronnie has?” I didn’t respond and merely ushered him on to the next exercise with the look of a pissed off parent. The gym bag he brought in started to become rammed with Tupperware full of chicken and broccoli, pasta and tuna and the PWO shaker loaded with all the aminos and carbs his body craves. Gone were the glossy magazines with adverts galore. He knows what to do and simply writes down every session in a small book, watching the weights increase month by month
Tommy is no longer a newbie, he has moved beyond the honeymoon period as I call it. This period is where the body simply loves to change shape, rapid gains appear and the crazy idea of the simultaneous cut and bulk comes in. people strip fat and build muscle. No pills, no potions, simply stimulating muscles and regulating their eating habits. People have begged Tommy for his training plan; they would love to know which magic beans he has. The answer is simple, none, quality eating habits, commitment and appreciation of hard training and understanding that the bodybuilding game is a long road. Unlike everything in today’s society the body cannot be bought. No 0% finance and pay sometime later. This is about the long hard road. Supplements that claim to add X% amount to your strength. So what if they do? Without the diet in place, without the training plan adhered to week in week out this means nothing. I didn’t just go and put my two new chairs on a building site and sit there did I? I called in the architects, I had the house designed, the labourers built it over a long period of time and then we decorated it. Then and only then were we ready for the TV and chairs. I can’t live with a chair alone, what use is a TV if I have to have it outdoors?
Yes supplements help, but they are just that, they supplement a diet, don’t rely on them, don’t think they will get you the body you want, its not going to happen.
Anyway enough of my story telling it never was my forte. What is my forte is training newbies and answering their questions, so below are some examples of what I here and my take on them
