300 pound female training program

Jamila Bey · 01-20-2006, 04:06 PM

Trainers, this one's for you. CrossFit Live inquires.

A 46 year old 300 pound woman with hypertension comes to you and expresses her desire to train. How do you provide adequate support so that she can train per CF methodology?

greg bass · 01-20-2006, 04:38 PM

really thick stretch bands?

Craig Van De Walker · 01-20-2006, 04:55 PM

I don't know how helpful this will be. I mostly work with relatively fit kids coaching soccer, but I am working with a woman who started out @ 250 at 5ft 2in. hypertension and adult diabetes with twice daily meds completely sedentary and some other health problems I won't go into.

I can tell you what I did with this person. (I am not a certified crossfit trainer but I am a NCSA CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist))

I had her walking or biking 30 min everyday. She also does body weight squats, one armed DB clean and presses, pushups off of knees and crunches because she cannot do sit ups. I have been working with her not really as a personal trainer but as an advisor of sorts. We went over diet and she decided she could live with the South Beach diet. I did not argue as it didn't look too bad. She has lost 25 lbs over the last six months and her blood sugar is much better. I was afraid anything more strenuous might cause injury or discouragement. I am gradually ramping up things and if I was directly overseeing her training I would be more aggressive but am taking it slow and steady. I do know some big people of both sexes who are pretty tough and active with them I would push, but this was not the case.

I know it is does not sound very Crossfit but it is a start

(Message edited by vcraig on January 20, 2006)

Tony Young · 01-20-2006, 06:15 PM

Jamila,
I have a couple clients much like you describe. We started with the beginners workout in CFJ #9, May 2003. Walk/jog/run and the fundamentals - deads, press and squats. They each switched to modified WOD at different rates but all much faster than I thought they would. Ramp up the intensity slowly and have fun. Let it become a good time.

Obviously, have her talk to her doctor, etc.

Larry Lindenman · 01-21-2006, 06:44 AM

Great suggestion Tony. CFJ #9, form work, and diet, bodyweight squats, PVC drills. Chase function (insist on perfect form) and form will follow. Diet is the KEY. Zone - measure - weigh, good food choices. I would push diet over exercise first. Constant reminders that it took a long time to become overfat, it's going to take time and effort to loose the fat, no magic 50 lbs in 3 weeks!

Hone Watson · 01-22-2006, 03:18 PM

I think thats pretty much an ideal answer Larry.

I've tried the "took a long time to become overfat, it's going to take time and effort to loose the fat, no magic 50 lbs in 3 weeks!"

The problem is a lot of people don't want to hear that in a instant gratification world.

Plus they see shows like the biggest loser and have unrealistic expectations on how fast they can lose weight.

Tony Young · 01-22-2006, 05:42 PM

Larry,
Absolutely right, I left that out. Baby steps into the Zone and off we go. Eliminate pop, add more water, cut back on pasta and bread as quickly as is practical.

As odd as it may seem ALL of my overweight trainees ate TOO LITTLE before we started. Mostly due to bad attitudes toward food in general. What have we done to our culture?

Albert Clayton · 01-23-2006, 07:41 AM

Tony,

Can you please explain the comment that your overweight trainees ate TOO LITTLE. Metabolic health problems sure are complicated.

Thanks

Tony Young · 01-23-2006, 10:22 AM

Albert,

First, I'm a self trained, "Black Box" type nutrition counselor. I've studied a lot, tried a lot of things, been heavy and scrawny and guided a bunch of people in a healthier eating direction. I'm not a doctor and don't even play one on TV.

That said-

I have everyone who trains with me do a food diary, that is, write down everything they eat for a week. "Don't change anything, let's just see where we are." It's no pressure, though sometimes it takes a little persistence to achieve compliance, and very revealing. To a person, my heavier trainees were eating 1/2 to 3/4 the amount of food needed for maintenance of their optimal body mass. A majority didn't eat a ton of junk, either.

The body, being a pretty smart survival mechanism, will, to a certain point, retain food energy as fat if it gets used to not getting enough fuel. (This precludes other conditions or problems like glandular or hormonal imbalances and doesn't include starvation as a possibility. That's why a doctor's check up is so important.) The weight loss can be dramatic when the body starts to use that stored fat.

I recommend the Zone (or something similar) because it works. It's common sense, based on whole food and effective. It takes some effort particularly in the beginning but it's totally worth it.

Again, as a nonprofessional counselor I always ask about body and health fundamentals before I recommend anything and insist on an MD's check up for anyone who is seriously obese.

Albert Clayton · 01-23-2006, 10:51 AM

That is very interesting. Thanks for the response.

Albert Clayton
Stock Broker married to a housewife.

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01-20-2006, 04:06 PM	#1
Jamila Bey Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts: 319	Trainers, this one's for you. CrossFit Live inquires. A 46 year old 300 pound woman with hypertension comes to you and expresses her desire to train. How do you provide adequate support so that she can train per CF methodology?

01-20-2006, 04:38 PM	#2
greg bass Departed Profile: Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 39	really thick stretch bands?

01-20-2006, 04:55 PM	#3
Craig Van De Walker Member Profile: Join Date: May 2005 Location: Beaverton OR Posts: 872	I don't know how helpful this will be. I mostly work with relatively fit kids coaching soccer, but I am working with a woman who started out @ 250 at 5ft 2in. hypertension and adult diabetes with twice daily meds completely sedentary and some other health problems I won't go into. I can tell you what I did with this person. (I am not a certified crossfit trainer but I am a NCSA CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)) I had her walking or biking 30 min everyday. She also does body weight squats, one armed DB clean and presses, pushups off of knees and crunches because she cannot do sit ups. I have been working with her not really as a personal trainer but as an advisor of sorts. We went over diet and she decided she could live with the South Beach diet. I did not argue as it didn't look too bad. She has lost 25 lbs over the last six months and her blood sugar is much better. I was afraid anything more strenuous might cause injury or discouragement. I am gradually ramping up things and if I was directly overseeing her training I would be more aggressive but am taking it slow and steady. I do know some big people of both sexes who are pretty tough and active with them I would push, but this was not the case. I know it is does not sound very Crossfit but it is a start (Message edited by vcraig on January 20, 2006)

01-20-2006, 06:15 PM	#4
Tony Young Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Santa Rosa Beach FL Posts: 395	Jamila, I have a couple clients much like you describe. We started with the beginners workout in CFJ #9, May 2003. Walk/jog/run and the fundamentals - deads, press and squats. They each switched to modified WOD at different rates but all much faster than I thought they would. Ramp up the intensity slowly and have fun. Let it become a good time. Obviously, have her talk to her doctor, etc.

01-21-2006, 06:44 AM	#5
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	Great suggestion Tony. CFJ #9, form work, and diet, bodyweight squats, PVC drills. Chase function (insist on perfect form) and form will follow. Diet is the KEY. Zone - measure - weigh, good food choices. I would push diet over exercise first. Constant reminders that it took a long time to become overfat, it's going to take time and effort to loose the fat, no magic 50 lbs in 3 weeks!

01-22-2006, 03:18 PM	#6
Hone Watson Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Auckland New Zealand Posts: 194	I think thats pretty much an ideal answer Larry. I've tried the "took a long time to become overfat, it's going to take time and effort to loose the fat, no magic 50 lbs in 3 weeks!" The problem is a lot of people don't want to hear that in a instant gratification world. Plus they see shows like the biggest loser and have unrealistic expectations on how fast they can lose weight.

01-22-2006, 05:42 PM	#7
Tony Young Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Santa Rosa Beach FL Posts: 395	Larry, Absolutely right, I left that out. Baby steps into the Zone and off we go. Eliminate pop, add more water, cut back on pasta and bread as quickly as is practical. As odd as it may seem ALL of my overweight trainees ate TOO LITTLE before we started. Mostly due to bad attitudes toward food in general. What have we done to our culture?

01-23-2006, 07:41 AM	#8
Albert Clayton Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio Texas Posts: 186	Tony, Can you please explain the comment that your overweight trainees ate TOO LITTLE. Metabolic health problems sure are complicated. Thanks

01-23-2006, 10:22 AM	#9
Tony Young Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Santa Rosa Beach FL Posts: 395	Albert, First, I'm a self trained, "Black Box" type nutrition counselor. I've studied a lot, tried a lot of things, been heavy and scrawny and guided a bunch of people in a healthier eating direction. I'm not a doctor and don't even play one on TV. That said- I have everyone who trains with me do a food diary, that is, write down everything they eat for a week. "Don't change anything, let's just see where we are." It's no pressure, though sometimes it takes a little persistence to achieve compliance, and very revealing. To a person, my heavier trainees were eating 1/2 to 3/4 the amount of food needed for maintenance of their optimal body mass. A majority didn't eat a ton of junk, either. The body, being a pretty smart survival mechanism, will, to a certain point, retain food energy as fat if it gets used to not getting enough fuel. (This precludes other conditions or problems like glandular or hormonal imbalances and doesn't include starvation as a possibility. That's why a doctor's check up is so important.) The weight loss can be dramatic when the body starts to use that stored fat. I recommend the Zone (or something similar) because it works. It's common sense, based on whole food and effective. It takes some effort particularly in the beginning but it's totally worth it. Again, as a nonprofessional counselor I always ask about body and health fundamentals before I recommend anything and insist on an MD's check up for anyone who is seriously obese.

01-23-2006, 10:51 AM	#10
Albert Clayton Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio Texas Posts: 186	That is very interesting. Thanks for the response. Albert Clayton Stock Broker married to a housewife.