I feel like my PT is pushing me too hard. How do I tell him this?

@allroads If it feels like that you are making progress. I would love a chance to be able to work with a PT. Practically feeding you customized information built for your body. Everything listed are just examples of hard work. If you want to slow your progression, you could do less, but remember, you are paying them for a reason. They know more about what would be beneficial for your body than you do. Their job is to get you in your best shape. Think of it like sports. If you were throwing up at practice you were working the hardest. Losing feeling in your legs is just an example of being sore. He even gave a diet plan. You have all the tools to become a monster, now do you want to? Or do you want to make minimal progress that will show slight difference in months of training? What you eat is one of the most important parts. If you got that down, then you can manage the rest. I know it’s hard, that’s why you don’t see everyone walking around fit. If you want it you want it, the drive to push yourself can only be found within. No reply will change that. At the end of the day it’s your money and your time. If you genuinely think their pushing you too hard you could always either communicate that with your PT, or find a new one.
 
@allroads Things like this should feel strenuous. But if your body or mind are legit fucked off, there might be something wrong. You should feel challenged and relieved, not like dying lol.
 
@allroads It seems like you just started on your adventure. Give it time. I had exactly the same complaints a year ago. Guess what? I've asked him to up the game. Because I got used to doing what he was asking (demanding) of me and my waist is now around 30". My weight is holding steady at around 160. This after four and a half years of making small periodic changes to diet and exercise habits and going from over 330 pounds (the scale didn't go any higher and it really seemed to need to at that point). It may seem tough, but there is not softer, kinder, gentler, easier way. Give yourself time. You will win.
 
@allroads I don't see anyone mention it here, i advise learning the symptoms of acidosis and if u feel any symptom or combination of symptoms Stop working right then and rest/hydrate. I saw a seriously scary case on court tv the other week a woman was suing her trainer because she got acidosis and got hospitalized but the judge ultimately ruled that shes under no obligation to press herself more than she wanted to and she caused her own damage. but she was pressured to keep going when she felt like quitting and she expressed like u did she didnt want to let him/herself down, so she assumed the trainer was safely guiding her towards fitness not trying to kill her....just keep going strong and set your boundaries where YOU want them and be safe, only you know when enough is enough. Oh and just be honest with him, if he's decent he will understand u want a softer start which is no shame, its a good place to start with just getting active/walking/jogging/stretching properly before pressing hard cardio. He should be teaching you in the beginning how to take care of your body and use your muscles safely not trying to get you gains imo
 
@allroads Imo, the most important thing for me with workouts was setting myself up for success. I started with a schedule/plan of something I can keep up for a long time. The other thing is be honest with your trainer, hopefully he'll be wanting to discuss it with you to set you up for success and find that sweet spot for you. Best of luck, sounds like you're killin it!
 
@allroads Just like you explained it here explain it to your PT. An experienced PT will mostly have dealt with people before in a similar way. The problem is people want instant results, so judging by your statement your bony will have no option but to change and adapt.
 
@allroads Why are you hesitant to talk to him about it? You need to have a trainer that you are comfortable with. Is he certified? It’s a two way relationship…it’s not a “do it this way or the highway “. Your regular feedback is very important and appreciated for a trainer.
 
@allroads Hey! Health and fitness expert here, been training for over a decade as well.

Your workout regime is way too extreme in my opinion for a novice lifter, and its not sustainable in the long term for even pros without loading up on serious gear (drugs). Your diet is a serious crash-bulk diet with lots of fiber/protein/binders that slow digestion and can cause nausea as well as dehydration if you aren't drinking a lot (fiber/protein draws water out of the blood into the colon). Can also cause gut complications down the road like dysbiosis, bloating, constipation, etc. This, combined with your exercise approach (i.e. multiple weekly full-body workouts) are what top Hollywood actors and bodybuilding competitors do to prepare quickly for scene-shoots and show prep in a matter of weeks. None of it is sustainable in the long run for anyone, and certainly not for a beginner who signed up for a year contract rather than a competitive 3-month body recomposition for the show-biz. Your PT is probably well intended, or new/naïve, or just plain stupid, but either way you need to tell him "Hey, this is too much for me, can we tone it back?" No need to sugarcoat it or beat around the bush, just be real.

It sounds like there was a miscommunication of goals at best. You probably said something about wanting to lose weight or gain a little muscle tone sooner rather than later and he probably took that to mean "the fastest results possible for a total body makeover". It'll be good to sit down, reiterate your goals (do you want to lose 50 pounds? Get to the female Adonis index in a year? Build larger muscles in your legs? Be specific and make sure its nothing extreme), and let him know that the current approach isn't sustainable for you, and work out where the miscommunication happened so you can get what you're paying for. It's important to remember: if you're a beginner you don't know what you don't know so its hard for a PT to really nail down what you want at first. Just be patient, there's always going to be a learning curve no matter who is training you. Also, PTs use terminology that you aren't familiar with, so you might accidentally use words that have a different meaning to them. They also have to strike a balance between being motivating without making you feel cornered or hopeless. Just remember: you are paying him. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, and the customer is always right. We're not perfect, so you need to advocate for yourself just like in any other situation such as in school or in a doctor's office.

Speaking of doctors, get your legs checked out. Full lower-body numbness isn't something to ignore. Best case scenario you have funky hips that pinch your nerves when you walk at a certain angle or you're dehydrated or have some weird hypoxia going on that caused tingling a few times but won't ever happen again. Worst case scenario: you have early onset MS. This isn't something to ignore, get it checked out. Better safe than sorry.
 
@allroads I'm a physical therapist, used to getting people functional again rather than helping people optimize their fitness, so my perspective might be a bit different. Having said that, a regime that leaves you with pulled muscles and feeling sick seems like a bit much. I've you haven't been very active in the past, it could be that your perception of the intensity of exertion is different from your trainer (or anyone else who is used to more intense physical activity). If you keep pushing yourself, your tolerance for intense activity will increase. On the other hand, I prefer to think that we, as fitness professionals, need to meet people where they're at- start out slower and ease them into a more active lifestyle. After all, if you're pushed too hard too fast and quit, you won't get anywhere. The real red flags, to me are the pulled muscles and feeling sick. Those should be exceptions, rather than common occurrences, and good reasons to back off. One thing, I wonder though, is if you could be mistaking muscle soreness for the pulled muscles, because those are different things from the standpoint of listening to your body and adjusting your activity accordingly. I just remembered I wrote a blog article about that a few months back: Did I Just Tear That? Muscle Soreness vs. Cramping vs. A Muscle Tear. Hope that helps.

Edit for a typo.
 
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