I also want to include my own personal success story here because I believe it’s important that you see that I practice what I preach when it comes to training…
It always cracks me up and makes me smile when I walk into a gym and other trainers and gym members try to give me advice on how to train. I’m fairly open minded when someone is teaching me something I don’t already know.
However, what really bothers me is when a trainer or gym member comes and tells me how to bench press (or do any exercise), when they don’t even have average strength, muscularity, or conditioning for the length of time they have been training.
I remember warming up and getting ready to do some deadlifts one time at Gold’s Gym on Burnett Road in Austin, Texas.
I warmed up with 135, 225, 315, and then got ready to do my last warmup with 405 lbs. when a young trainer came over, interrupted me and started dispensing advice such as:
- How deadlifts were dangerous,
- It could hurt my back,
- I needed to use a belt (cause I was not using a belt),
- I needed to look up instead of straight ahead,
- Do the deadlifts in front of a mirror so I can see my form (cause I was doing it 3 feet in front of a blank wall),
- and a whole mess of other bullshit.
I let the young trainer finish his nonsense because I didn’t want to be rude and when he finished, I simply asked him:
- Have you ever deadlifted over 405 lbs. before? He replied “no”.
- Have you ever trained someone to deadlift over 405 lbs. before? He replied “no” again.
- Have you ever seen how someone gets trained to deadlift over 405 lbs. before? He replied “no” again.
- Do you know how to train someone to deadlift over 405 lbs.? Again, he replied “no”.
So I said to the young trainer as I was loading the bar with 495 lbs…
For over a decade now, I have been deadlifting 405-525 pounds every week without missing one workout unless I was sick…
… there has never been a year where I did not train at least two dozen or more people to deadlift over 405 lbs…
… and now I should listen to someone:
- Who has never lifted over 400 lbs…
- Has never trained someone to lift over 400 lbs…
- Has never seen anyone train to lift over 400 lbs…
- Aand has no clue how to train someone to lift over 400 lbs. or where to even begin…
I told the young trainer that it did not make sense to me.
The young trainer scurried along and mumbled under his breath that I would break my back with that 495 lbs. I was about to lift.
I believe that ALL personal trainers SHOULD:
- Have above average strength.
- Have better cardio than the average gym member.
- Be more muscular than the average gym member.
- Have stronger mental discipline, willpower, and perseverance than the average gym member.
- Practice what they preach.
Below are some training videos of mine where I have set new personal records for myself.
Again, I share these videos with you not to impress you but to show you that I do practice what I preach.
Please note that they are very advance training strategies and you should NOT attempt them without proper guidance and training. I’m not bullshitting about that, cause you will screw yourself up…
My best record for the standing shoulder presses has been 225 lbs. for 10 reps. I have only been able to do it once in my life. I don’t have video footage of it but I do have video of me throwing up 225×5 without any effort:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eCMPs_OPUo’]
The most I have ever done was was 495 lbs. for 5 reps on the sumo deadlifts before I had my massive heart attack in 2007. I regret not having video footage of it but I do have a video of me deadlifting 405 lbs. for 10 reps:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpb3yDTSlGk’]
After my heart attack I tried to get my strength back up to the 500 lbs. area again, but it has been challenging because a part of my heart was damaged during the heart attack because I waited so long to get to the Emergency Room. Plus, my commitment to becoming a better stock trader has slowed down all my fitness goals.
I’m still working on it though but here is my first successful attempt at pulling 455 lbs. after my heart attack:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpJIsdXMJ8o’]
Here is a video of me setting a new record in the squats with 315 lbs. for 11 reps at our home gym. If my conditioning had been better, I think I could have squeezed out another rep:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvR2ROP0ae8′]
The bench press is like the most favorite exercise for all guys in the gym. It cracks me up cause for some guys, having a big bench is like having a big cock!
I’m guilty of it myself when I just started training in my early twenties. I’m glad I got over that nonsense many years ago.
Below is a video of Eric Gerber (Professional MMA fighter) spotting me on my record 325 pound bench press:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDDYO4YxXTo’]
Everybody has a favorite body part they like to work on in the gym, for me, it has to be shoulders, I love to get basketball size shoulders even if it makes me look freakish and inhuman! 🙂
I am very close to hitting 225 lbs. on the shoulder press, but in the meantime, the best I have done is 205 lbs. for 3 reps:
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9sjFUFaE4c’]
I hope the story of how I came to be a personal trainer and the changes I have been through in my life will inspire you to take action towards making a positive change in your life as well.
Take care my friend.
Peace
Tai “The Asian Wonder”
Your #1 Online Personal Trainer
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Current Student Of Wu Chi Chuan (Wuji Quan)
Current Student Of Zen Buddhism
Former Student Of Wing Chun Kung Fu
Former Lead Personal Trainer At Gold’s Gym
Heart Attack Survivor