Leigh, Do you even train people?
Q: Dear Leigh,
I have been following some of your personal clients logs. Seems to me that you are anti- training, what is up with that? Do you even train people at all?
(Signed Jerk in Arizona…okay maybe they didn’t sign it that)
(edit: Oh and for the record they did sign it “being a jackass” and found the post funny.)
DON’T TAKE THIS ALL SO SERIOUS! My next article is “How a deficit takes away your funny bone.”

A: Dear Jerk in Arizona,
I do see where someone is coming from if they read the logs over at somewhere like JP.
First off, each training program is 100% unique to the other. So no two programs are the same. That doesn’t mean that sometimes they can’t follow the same kind of base. Why though (and this is a great question) are so many of my clients (online) not doing a lot of aggressive training.
The truth is that I have a kind of “following” and “type” of client that I generally work with. Usually, by the time you come to me, you have already been driving yourself into the ground or training so aggressively that the best thing I can do for YOU is to let you take a break!
Remember fat loss has nothing to do with training. That being said, I love muscle mass. I love increasing lean body mass.
That doesn’t mean that fat loss is always done at the right time.
That doesn’t mean that aggressive training fits your body look needs (IE: Actress/Model)
That doesn’t mean that training too much won’t make you more hungry or lead to binging.
That doesn’t mean that you have the right hormone system for lots of lifting AND lots of dieting down.
There are too many variables and it just so happens that a lot of my clients (those that you see, anyways) fall into some of those categories where training on an aggressive and sometimes ANY level is what they need.
Not all my clients have a public log, but some may just be in the public eye and DO training for athletics. The truth is, if you are seeing a client run a log, they are more my passion than my “clients.” I am not saying it’s free, I am just saying it’s a personal love to help them and it goes beyond just getting my technical duties done. It goes beyond just being a technical trainer. I love these people and I don’t do it for me, I do it for them and VICE VERSA. They are amazing people to me, and I am not going to let my need of implementing some new “technique” on them ruin their efforts because it doesn’t seem like that are “doing enough”.
All you trainers out there remember: your ego can kill your clients’ results.
End Point: Don’t assume so much, you make a ass out of…well in this case, U only.









Wazzup
Wow… someone asks you a question and (s)he’s a jerk … do behave.
Also
> Remember fat loss has nothing to do with training.
I strongly disagree…. (and I’m not alone)
Maybe you should devote a blog entry on how to train to optimize fat loss (and retain muscle).
June 8th, 2008 at 1:53 amLeigh Peele
Hey Wazzup,
First they were implying that I don’t train and the post is, IMO, all in good fun JAB. If they can dish out calling me out as someone who doesn’t train then they should be able to take it back no? And it was all in fun, see the post edit.
As for training for fat loss, yeah you don’t have to train to lose fat. Hate to pull out the concentration camp argument but fat loss with no training for it is pretty easy.
I didn’t say anything about training to retain muscle though did I?
Most are assuming that the only way to retain muscle during a fat loss program is to train for it aggressively, not the case.
People are WAY to sensitive about the ease of loss of LBM. I love that trainers will take credit for fat loss that is water, but bump up gain of weight that is “LBM.” It just doesn’t transfer EITHER WAY that easily. If you keep your protein up to a healthy level and don’t drive yourself into the ground…say with “optimizing fat loss training” then you can retain LBM pretty easy.
I get where you are coming from but I think that you aren’t getting that muscle and fat loss aren’t as closely related as hype want to make it seem. They are two different worlds that yes, optimally work together, but their needs are polar, as they should be.
June 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am