Okay I had been thinking of having a personal trainer. I have my cardio pretty much nailed down but I slack on my weights; there are various reasons 1. I get intimidated in the gym not knowing if I am doing the right thing 2. I do not want to hurt myself by doing the move wrong 3. I am just confused with how many reps I need to do what muscles I need to work etc etc

But I do think that having a personal trainer will help; but am just confused..

Was hoping to get some advice ....

check the thread entitled workout - and read thru that... and view the videos

Can anyone recommend a good personal trainer for the Herndon, VA area.

I workout at the local community center, the the personal trainer doesn't really look like he is in the best of shape.

My budget is reasonable, and can be discussed.

Thanks in advance

Looks don't really determine the trainer's efficacy. I've seen some excellent trainers/coaches who were fat.

That said, it's tough to find a quality, in-person trainer.

If your looking for a trainer, I live in reston and my friend owns a personal training business with its own facility located in Lake ann shopping center. less than 5 miles from you. Its called body by Jeff. Its an awsome facilitly, his clients swear by him, and he really knows his stuff. Ive seen some of the changes his clients, man tremendous results, and if your looking for hard core, he's your man.

give body by jeff a google. reston VA

do you have a link and contact information for jeff? google didn't turn up anything useful

Haha - This always amazed me. I have never understood how a coach/trainer can allow him/herself to become overweight. Look at your eagles head coach. I don't see how he could maintain respect from his players when he has them out there running laps while he himself is obese.

I mean nothing bad by saying this. But, I personally couldn't respect a doctor, personal trainer, coach and so on if they were largely overweight. It simply seems so hypocritical.

I respect knowledge.

I don't care what package it comes in.

If you're a good coach, yet you're fat, does that mean I'm going to not hire you b/c you're fat and go with a less competent coach simply 'because'?

I don't get that rationality.

I agree, as a personal trainer, I think it's in a trainer's best interest to walk the walk and talk the talk, so to say. Not only is it your job to educate and train.... it's also to act as a role model.

But not acting the part doesn't erase knowledge, experience, and expertise.

And that's what I truly value.

I see a coach and a personal trainer as just about one and the same.

two examples,
This reminds me of a time when I saw a man on fox news talking about heart disease. He was a doctor and was clinically obese. He was talking about how Americans don't know how to eat right, exercise, and live a healthy life. At the same time, you could hear him struggle for air.
I was played on a football team where the head coach was highly over weight. He was a prick and hard ass who had us run till we could run no more(not in a good way). It was not enjoyable to be sprinting in 98+ degree Texas weather in football uniforms while this VERY overweight man tells us we don't know how to push our selfs, were lazy, and were not in good enough shape and so on. Yet, this man couldn't run goal to goal if he tried.

I say lead by example. If your going to be in a position of power where you are professionally advising someone else in an athletic situation or in general health. You can't say - "Do as I say, Not as I do".

Lead by example is what I believe in and I don't like hypocrites.

As do I.

When I originally said coach, I was more talking about a strength coach. But either or works.

You're missing my point.

How does his inability to breath or his obvious lack of health discredit his information?

The only problem I see here is that he called you lazy.

He himself is obviously lazy.

The doctor above wasn't like, "America is full of a bunch of fat asses." He was simply explaining the correlation between obesity and heart disease.

A coach of any general sport has a job. This job entails preparation of athletes, winning, etc. What does his/her weight have to do with his job? He/she doesn't need to be able to run wind sprints in 98 degree weather.... b/c that's not his job. His job is to be a effective coach.

How about this:

How would a lean coach help his/her athlete any better than than any equally competent heavy coach?

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree here, as I don't agree with this at all.

Certainly in certain circumstances I do.

For instance, if you had an uber wealthy president saying, "We are going to tax the poor and reward the rich"..... yea, there's a serious lack of sense there.

However, in the case of the trainer/coach, I just don't see it. If they know their shit....they know their shit. What you're saying here lacks reason in the context of the question I asked you previously.

Suppose you were looking for a trainer and somehow could automatically be made aware of his/her competency.

Heavy trainer = more intelligent and effective than lean trainer.

Would you go with the lean trainer simply b/c he 'leads by example' when you certainly would have gotten better results with the fat trainer?

I understand what you're saying, I really do. I just don't think the whole 'lead by example' thing is strictly black and white. There's a lot of gray where you can have a fat, yet highly effective and competent coach.

You aren't paying for the way the trainer looks. You are paying for the results that he/she can get you.

You're missing my point.

Not what I'm arguing.

Again, Your missing my point. I'm not saying they can't be as knowledgeable in the area. I never once stated they can't/aren't as knowledgeable. It's a matter of principle.

I still say and stand by...

If you can't fire a gun affectively. I'm not going to hire you to teach me how to shoot a gun. If you can't ski well. I'm not going to pay to teach me. If you can't keep yourself in decent physical shape. I'm not going to hire you as a trainer or any other position where you are telling ME how to "Be better" when you yourself can't follow your own advise.

Its not a matter of intelligence. Its a matter of principle.

Not at all actually. I know this b/c you solidified your point below and I'll get to that in a moment.

No.

Oh I see....

You are confusing my point with your own.

I never said you said this. I was making my point which you warped.

From the get-go I've said I see your point and even said this to be your point.

Again, I see what you mean WITH YOUR POINT: It is a positive thing for a trainer/coach to walk the walk, talk the talk.

I'm just not one to get hung up on something as trivial as principle when there are much more critical things that would go into the hire of a trainer, IMO.... such as intelligence. This is my point, Trevor.

Right.

I'm honestly a pretty intelligent guy. I've realized and comprehended your point from the get go. I don't agree with said point, which is why I stated we'll have to agree to disagree in this particular case. No biggy.

We're weren't talking about the principle of it all.

We were talking about the efficacy of trainers.

If I were to hire a trainer, it would have nothing to do with how he lives his life. It would have everything to do with what he could do for me in terms of goal attainment. Him being fat has no bearing on the results he can help me acheive.

You would make your decisions on different variables.

To each his own.... we're all entitled and there isn't right or wrong.

And that sums it up.

I could care less about the principle b/c I don't really care about said trainer. I care about myself and said results. Again, I'm not paying for the trainer's looks, I'm paying for what's between his ears.

Haha - I'm not and never have been.

A person who teaches and is payed to teach a subject that does not follow his own advise is lazy and hypocritical.

Pfft, Intelligent is an understatement to say the least.
Its just when you said, for example.

I presumed that you didn't get my point. As I have not questioned the validity of his information.

Its a matter of practicing what you preach. If you can't practice don't preach it.

Another comparison is cops who instruct us and condemn us yet give advise on how to follow the law. Yet, they go out and break it them selfs(not speaking in absolutes here). Or preachers who preach their bible yet go out and do horrible acts that go against their own book.
Its all the same. "Do as I say, Not as I do. )

I believe what were "arguing" is the exact same as the above two examples.

I've been staying out of it 'cause the discussion kinda touches on what I am. I have a belly, but I both coached highschool wrestling, and have designed weight training programs for others. I would like to step in here, though, and throw out some logic.

Where would you draw the line?

If you were to use/recommend a trainer, and you are saying that you wouldn't use a trainer that is overweight, what would be the line? Would that trainer have to have all of his abs visible? Would his bicep have to be a certain size? If you say that you are going to disqualify someone based on a quantifiable standard, then where is your balance point? Knowledge wise, you can set quantifiable standards by saying "they need to at least have this cert, or have read these books, or know not to recommend these programs".

If they were so grossly overweight that they couldn't follow you around and/or were so fat that they couldn't show you proper form, I would say that you have a valid point by disqualifying someone based on their level of fitness.

Like steve said, I completely understand your point and your arguments, but I disagree with you. I had a strength coach in college that was a big fat guy, but he could eek the last little bit of effort out of me, and get me to make my body do things that I didn't think it could do. I know it is anecdotal evidence, but to me, that just goes to show that just because a person doesn't necessarily practice what they preach doesn't mean that they aren't qualified.

It sounds more like that you are against people (not necessarily trainers or coaches) that are lazy and hypocritical. Are you going to tell me that you've never smoked a cigarette, or drank a single beer, or jaywalked, or speeded in a car? You obviously knew beforehand that there were negative consequences of these sorts of actions, but you did them. Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?