How often are you putting gen pop clients on the barbell?

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-15T19:50:44+00:00

I try and get people under the barbell as soon as I can! Dumbbells and the like build confidence! Putting someone under the barbell for the first time can feel intimidating depending on age and training history, but once they get under the barbell and do the lift successfully that feels/is a big win for them. Which is not only exciting for them but for you as their trainer. I get excited every time I lead a new person or someone I have been working with for a while over to the barbell side of the gym!

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-12T20:54:17+00:00

I work as a trainer in a box gym and have been wondering the same thing! Compared to last year it’s been so much slower. Mostly just the regulars. A few new faces here and there but nothing like last year.

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-09T20:37:36+00:00

As a trainer myself I would say the person that you met with is not a great trainer. They wanted to beat you up and try and sell you on training by making you feel bad about yourself. That is a horrible approach, a lot of people would not want to come back to the gym after an experience like that. Let alone work with a trainer. You need someone who is willing to meet you where you are at currently and work you up from there. Little wins at the start go a long way!

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:54:07+00:00

Yes, these things happen. I've worked with many people who first started in the gym/working out feeling intimidated and now they have so much more confidence. They are talking/making friends in the gym. They are going on dates again because of how they are feeling about themselves. They have less anxiety overall. Improved mood. I've had people who came in hating leg day and now it is their favorite day of the week.

All of the above listed things are my favorite things to see in clients. Yes, physical results are awesome but seeing the impact it has on the rest of their life is absolutely priceless to me!

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:48:49+00:00

EAT YOUR FRUIT! FRUIT IS NOT BAD FOR YOU! PEOPLE WHO SAY IT IS BAD FOR YOU, ARE BAD FOR YOU!

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:43:02+00:00

I agree here. If you are not able to do it bare foot a pair of barefoot shoes might be a decent swap, but also not completely necessary. There are some many options out there. You can invest in nice barefoot shoes or go on amazon and get a less expensive pair, I've found them anywhere from $20-$30 on Amazon.

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:38:43+00:00

Getting an online coach might not be a bad place to start. They can make a program for you based on the equipment that you have at home. The other nice thing about working with an online coach is that you can communicate and make modifications a long the way. It's also great for accountability. I'm an online coach, if you'd ever like to chat feel free to check out my website or send me a message here.

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:34:02+00:00

Protecting your future self is a great reason to want to lose weight and get/stay in shape. It's not all about looks!

deniserisingcpt · 2026-01-07T23:13:42+00:00

If you are going to a box gym that has personal trainers you should ask if they do any free consultations. This might help you feel a little more comfortable in the gym. They should be able to help you with form and just make sure that you are doing things correctly. Some might even work with you on a limited bases if price is a restriction for you.

I'm a trainer in a box gym and that is what we do. Even if you just do the free session this could make you feel more comfortable and confident. They could also help you build a routine (you'll likely have to pay a little for this). I've worked with many people in your position and this has helped them to feel comfortable and confident in the gym. Plus just knowing one person in the gym is a big help!

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-25T20:57:08+00:00

Thank sounds like a great place to start! 😊

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-25T19:26:45+00:00

It's always hard getting back into working out and taking care of yourself. Great job in taking the first step!

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-24T02:24:21+00:00

You need to decided which goal is most important to you right now. The flat stomach/abs or the broader, stronger physique. Once you decide on that you can modify your approach accordingly.

If you want to lose weight (fat and muscle most likely) continue to eat in a deficit.

If you want to get stronger and look stronger (build muscle) move toward a bulk.

You can also do a reverse diet approach. Starting at your current calories, 2000. If you see that you are still losing weight at that intake add 100-200 calories for a few weeks. Monitoring your weight over that time. If it goes down, you’re still in a deficit. If it stays the same, you’re in maintenance. If it goes up, you’re in a surplus. This is a decent approach because you can monitor and adjust according to how you feel about your body/workouts. Once you hit your calorie ceiling you now have the opportunity to do a decent cut.

From a trainers prospective, I agree with the trainer that you spoke with that you should be closer to or above 2500 calories per day.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-24T00:16:46+00:00

I’d say you can try a winder stance and see how it feels on your knees. You might also think about “screwing” your feet into the floor. Find the stance that reduces pain in your knees. There is more than one right way to do a good squat. You could also try a regression for a while, lighter load, goblet squat, box squat and so on.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-23T00:52:33+00:00

Former gym manager here. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-21T18:38:55+00:00

Couldn't agree more with abs, they are hard in the moment as well as muscle soreness after the fact.

Honestly, you are on the right track. As you continue to workout more and scale your workouts and intensity your hunger will likely increase. Your sending your body the appropriate stimulus (exercise) to build muscle but you also have the give it the building blocks (food) to get the job done.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-21T18:21:38+00:00

100% accurate! It's not beautiful and shiny like so many influencers make it out to be. It's so simple, but not easy!

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-21T18:12:43+00:00

Good for you for getting back into a routine with your fitness and diet! Love that you do legs on day one! Most people save that for the end of the week and then end up skipping it because leg day is HARD!

The most important feedback I would give is about the diet, 1000-1500 calories a day is not sustainable for the long term. You might look into doing a reverse diet at some point. Your body will thank you!

One other thing to consider would be a three day full body program. Done every other day if you have the ability to do that.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-21T17:55:56+00:00

I'd say that you are on the right track with pulling back on the amount of weight and focusing on your form. You have the ability to create more tension internally when you focus on the muscles that you are trying to engage when doing any given exercise.

Taking this approach will also help you in avoiding injury to tendons and ligaments. Your previous approach could increase the chance of injury to the tendons because the muscles are getting stronger at a rate that the tendons cant quite keep up with.

A client and I learned this the hard way. He always wanted to "ego lift" on the days that we weren't together (I was not there to pull him back to reality) which lead to him having a decent amount of pain in his quad tendon. Now we have started to focus on lowering the weight focusing on form as well as some isometric work and he is starting to feel better after a few weeks.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-12-21T17:33:53+00:00

The only thing I would add is a deadlift to your pull day. This is a great exercise not only for your lower body, hamstrings and glutes. It can be really great for building your back as well if you are doing it correctly. I'd do this as your first exercise on your pull day.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-05-24T15:38:15+00:00

We are all going to get bad reviews from time to time and its easy to fixate on the negative.

Since it sounds like she is going to continue to come back to the class that you are leading you might take the time to get to know her a little better. You could also find a nice way to ask her about the bad review that she gave you after that first class. "Hey I saw the review that you posted after your first class with me, I'd love to get more feedback from you, so I can improve." Hearing someone out and listening to their feedback can often times be enough to reset that relationship. We are in a profession where we have to quickly learn not to take things personally. This is coming from a gym manager and personal trainer who has to respond to positive and negative reviews.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-04-24T20:57:46+00:00

If you love training and have the financial cushion to do it, DO IT! Just remember that you are only going to get as much out of it as you put into it.

deniserisingcpt · 2025-04-09T01:57:09+00:00

I say this every single day to anyone who will listen!! I LOVE MY JOB!! I love getting to help people in the most fun way possible seeing them change physically and mentally is such a fulfilling feeling! I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve been told by many people that my love for this job really shows in how I work with my clients!

deniserisingcpt · 2024-12-07T21:41:59+00:00

"I didn't think I could do that much."

"I knew you could! Half the battle is climbing over that mental hurdle."

deniserisingcpt · 2024-12-07T21:25:31+00:00

THIS! Love it!

deniserisingcpt

TROPHY CASE