Vault: He's got some great fitness advice

Summary

The Bert Show: "Vault: He's got some great fitness advice"

Date: June 10, 2026
Guests: Trainer Dolvett, Host Bert, Co-host Courtland, various callers
Theme: Real, accessible fitness guidance for beginners—from picking the right gym to nutrition, routines, and accountability

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on making fitness accessible for beginners, particularly around New Year's resolutions and the intimidation that comes with starting at the gym. The team brings in expert trainer Dolvett to demystify gym culture, offer practical tips, answer live caller questions, and stress the importance of finding the right approach to fitness and nutrition for your life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Overcoming Gym Intimidation for Beginners

• Opening context: Many people feel intimidated by gyms, especially if they're starting from scratch and are unfamiliar with the environment or equipment.
  • "It's intimidating too...like, you're nervous. Everybody else around looks like they know what they're doing." — Courtland [01:14]
• The team emphasizes it's normal to feel lost at first and it's important to find support and guidance.

2. How to Choose the Right Gym

• Ask questions about programs and support:
  • "What kind of programs do you offer, like personal training? What kind of guidance can I get in nutrition? How often do I work out? What if I have injuries?" — Dolvett [02:27]
• Look for individual attention:
  • "If someone is training you and they're training you like they're training everyone else, it's probably not a good situation..." — Dolvett [02:27]
  • "It has to be individual attention starting out, because you're new." — Dolvett [03:01]
• Trial sessions and consultations:
  • Most gyms should offer a trial session or consultation so you can assess the fit and whether they're attentive to your needs. [03:31]
  • The consultation should include an assessment and understanding of your goals and limitations.

3. What to Expect from a Good First Workout

• The post-workout feeling should be slightly challenged, but not incapacitated:
  • "You should feel like, I did something, but I'm still functional...you should never go to the extreme to where if you can't bend over, your back hurts, your legs hurt...that is too much." — Dolvett [04:04]

4. Can Anyone Start Training, No Matter the Starting Point?

• Yes, but with precautions:
  • "Everyone's trainable, everyone's coachable, but there has to be levels." — Dolvett [04:37]
  • Always get medical clearance, especially if you have major health concerns or have been inactive for a long time.

5. Trainer Qualifications

• Ask for proof of certification:
  • "You have to be [certified]. Yeah, and you should ask for that." — Dolvett [05:03]

6. At-home Workouts for Beginners

• Simple, effective tools:
  • "Yeah, me and my chair." — Dolvett [05:12]
  • Use body weight exercises and household items (like a sturdy chair) for effective workouts at home.

7. When Is the Best Time to Work Out?

• No universal best time—it's individual:
  • "Honestly, it's relative. I gotta be honest with you. Everyone's different. There is no rhyme or reason." — Dolvett [05:39]
  • It's most important to find a routine that fits your own rhythm and schedule.

8. The Importance of Starting at Your Own Level

• Call-in story of being pushed too hard: Many callers shared stories of excessive pain after initial sessions.
  • "I've walked out of there in so much pain that it stopped me from going back." — Caller [07:05]
  • Advice: Make sure trainers are listening to your needs and custom-tailoring sessions.
    • "When a trainer interviews you, make sure that they're listening to your needs...stretch before and always stretch after." — Dolvett [07:16]

9. The Power of Accountability

• Consistency is easier with a trainer:
  • "Anybody I know that's ever lost a significant amount of weight...it's with a trainer, because there's one other person expecting you to be there." — Courtland [08:44]
  • Trainers will check in and keep you honest:
    • "If I skipped a workout, he would find me. He'd call me. Like, the elevator phone would ring..." — Bert [09:24]
  • Schedule workouts as immutable appointments:
    • "It's gotta be in your calendar, you know, on your BlackBerry, your iPhone, whatever. It pops up as a reminder as an appointment time, you know, not something that I'll can." — Courtland [10:21]

10. Cardio vs. Weights—Order and Best Practices

• Both types are important:
  • "You warm up doing cardio and then you do weights. But go back to doing your cardio." — Dolvett [10:54]
  • Use a combination—intervaling between cardio and weights is effective for fat burning and "body confusion". [11:17]

11. How to Get Toned, Not Bulky

• Key strategy:
  • "Lighter weights. A lot of reps, that's how you get toned. If you obviously lift heavier weights, you're going to bulk." — Dolvett [11:48]

12. Nutrition: Timing, Choices, and Learning

• Meal frequency:
  • "I recommend you doing about five to six meals a day. Obviously your majors, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you want to have some snacks in between." — Dolvett [12:15]
• No set eating cut-off—but avoid late-night carbs:
  • "There is no cut off time. You just have to make good choices....stay away from carbs late at night...increase your protein intake and your vegetable intake." — Dolvett [12:27-12:43]
  • "Two hours is enough time before your body to be in rest mode. Absolutely." — Dolvett [13:43]
• Clarifying carb sources:
  • "When you say stay away from carbs, what are you talking about?" — Bert
  • "White processed carbs—white rice, pastas, pizza, sandwiches, breads, you know, things like this." — Dolvett [12:58]
  • Fruits are also carbs, though less processed. [13:21]
• Learning about nutrition online:
  • "Type in nutrition. Type in nutrition assistance. There's a lot of websites that guide you..." — Dolvett [14:05]
  • Use apps or sites to track calories.
  • Bert and Dolvett stress learning "how to eat" as fundamental:
    • "It's called the internal workout. That is key." — Dolvett [14:35]

13. Metabolism and Portion Control

• "Smaller portions throughout the day speeds up your metabolism, regardless." — Dolvett [15:03]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On finding a gym:

  • "If someone is training you and they're training you like they're training everyone else, it's probably not a good situation." — Dolvett [02:27]

• On post-workout pain:

  • "If you can't walk, that's probably bad." — Dolvett [04:04]

• Accountability:

  • "If I skipped a workout, he would find me. He'd call me. Like, the elevator phone would ring..." — Bert [09:24]
  • "Accountability, it's everything. Accountability." — Dolvett [09:59]

• On nutrition:

  • "It's called the internal workout. That is key." — Dolvett [14:35]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Gym intimidation & getting started: [01:01–01:34]
• How to choose a gym & trial sessions: [01:34–03:31]
• Individual attention from trainers: [02:27–03:01]
• What makes a good first workout: [04:04–04:31]
• At-home exercise tips: [05:05–05:30]
• Best time to work out: [05:32–06:25]
• Dealing with being sore after first sessions/caller stories: [06:30–08:41]
• Accountability and keeping appointments: [09:24–10:31]
• Cardio vs. weights: [10:38–11:25]
• Getting toned, not bulky: [11:34–12:03]
• Diet and meal timing: [12:08–13:47]
• Learning about nutrition online: [14:05–15:09]

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Conclusion

This episode delivers practical, empathetic advice for fitness beginners, covering overcoming intimidation, finding the right gym and trainer, building accountability, and understanding the basics of nutrition. There’s laughter, real talk about struggles, and encouragement to take small, consistent steps.

Key takeaway:
"You gotta put this in your life. It should be a part of your life no matter who you are." — Dolvett [09:59]

Transcript

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Host (Bert)]

of you that have the New Year's resolution this year, this is gonna be the year you're gonna hit the gym. You're gonna start eating right. We realized that a lot of you guys are starting from ground zero. You have no idea what you're doing.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

And it's intimidating too. I think if you haven't been working out, if you haven't been in the gym, like you don't know exactly how to even turn on the button on the machine to get the treadmill or the elliptical started going. So it's, there's an intimidation factor there. You know, I think, like, you're nervous. Everybody else around looks like they know what they're doing. They'd be going every day. It's like, it's kind of scary to get started.

[Host (Bert)]

So that for those that have never been to a gym before, have no idea about trainers or anything, but now they've got the money because, you know, it's in this economy, everybody has a disposable income right now. They've got the money to go to a gym. How do you know a good gym from a bad gym? How do you select what gym to go to besides the one that's closest to your house?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

That's a great question. I think if you go to a place where they're very helpful and they take their time to explain what you're doing and what you're not doing, then that's considered a good place in a lot of ways. If they're very conscious oriented when it comes to nutrition, it's so many variables.

[Host (Bert)]

What kind of questions can you ask? Because I know sometimes you'll go to some gyms and sometimes the trainers are the salespeople also, and they're more focused on just getting you in there. Then once you get to the gym, they forget about you. So what kind of questions can you ask to where you know that the gym that you're going to is actually gonna help you once you sign up?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Another good question I would ask, what are, what are your programs? What kind of programs do you offer, like personal training? What kind of guidance can I get in nutrition? How often do I work out? What if I have injuries? And they can answer injury based questions? If they can answer questions, if you're, if you're, if you've never done anything before and they're very conscious about people like that, you can also judge it based on the actual session. If someone is training you and they're training you like they're training everyone else, it's probably not a good situation, okay?

[Co-host (Courtland)]

So it's got to be individual attention.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

It has to be individual attention starting out, because you're new.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

They would have to have like different kinds of classes too, because I've signed up before and like, you know, you go to like one class, you're all fired up, you're like, I'm gonna love this aerobics class. And then you get in there and you hate it. And you'd rather do maybe a different kind of class or do like a hip hop class or whatever, you know what I mean? So you've got different choices if you're signing up for something. I wouldn't sign up for just one small specific thing. I'd give yourself some options to see what you actually like and enjoy.

[Host (Bert)]

Will most gyms let you test drive a trainer once or their gym once or twice?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

They should. And it's in that consultation is what it's called process that you determine where someone is athletically. If they have a consultation program, then by all means it's considered a good place in a lot of ways because that's when you do a full assessment and you understand someone's needs.

[Host (Bert)]

So if you go in there and you have a one on one and what are you supposed to feel like? I mean, think about talking to the most basic person. That has never worked out before. If you go in with a trainer for the very first time, how should you feel after that very first workout to know that that's a good trainer or not?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

If you can't walk, that's probably bad. But you should feel like you had some kind of challenge, like something, you know, your muscles feel stretched, your core should have some sort of firmness to it. You should feel like, I did something, but I'm still functional. Because again, if you're a beginner, if you're at the very bot, you should never go to the extreme to where if you can't bend over, your back hurts, your legs hurts, then that may be too much. No maybe about it. That is too much.

[Host (Bert)]

Are there some people that will come into the gym that are so out of shape that you can't train, that you're like, you gotta go see a doctor first?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Well, I always get clearance. I have my clients get clearance from a doctor. And you know, it's just a clause of mine from the beginning. Are there anyone that you can train? No, because there's different levels of training. Beginner, intermediate, advanced. So everyone's trainable, everyone's coachable, but there has to be levels.

[Host (Bert)]

You know, does each trainer come? Can you go in there and ask for a certificate? Do you have to be certified to be a trainer in Georgia?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

You have to be. Yeah, and you should ask for that.

[Caller 1]

And what, and what if you want to train at home and do it by yourself? Is there anything you would recommend for someone doing exercising on their own?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Yeah, me and my chair.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

Do you have a chair at home?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Everybody had a chair at home.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I mean, maybe you don't have any chairs.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

If you don't have a chair, then

[Host (Bert)]

don't buy the Talvette has a DVD which basically says that you can use your body weight and you can use this chair to get a decent workout.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Absolutely, yeah.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

What time of day is the best time to work out? Is it before you start your day in the morning? Is it once you're done with work?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Honestly, it's relative. I gotta be honest with you. Everyone's different. There is no rhyme or reason. If you do it in the morning, there's morning people. Some people wake up at 4am and go for. I have a client that runs for at least 6, 7 miles at 4am that is insane.

[Host (Bert)]

I work out at different times and we're trying to coordinate to work out with each other. And I have such a fear of working out at her time, and she has such a fear of working out at my time.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

I know what you can.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

You got your pace, your rhythm, right? Like, yeah, I like to go from, like, from here to workout and then home, and then I'm done. I don't have to keep going, right? Bert likes to go home first. He likes to take his little nap, do his thing, regroup, whatever, and then go to the gym. I'm like, no, no, no. By then, I'm done, done, done. I have no energy by that point.

[Host (Bert)]

Your time. Sc it really does. Here is Courtland. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 2]

Good morning. I just want to say that I'm looking to start a workout regimen this year, and I'm not looking to lose a lot of weight, but I do want to tone up. And I've been on, like, a thousand diets and all that kind of stuff. And my experience has been that when I've seen a trainer the first time or even five times after that, I've walked out of there in so much pain that it stopped me from going back. And I don't know why this keeps happen. And I wonder if trainers are just so, you know, set on getting you in shape, getting you in shape, that they're not taking you at the level that you're at. And what can I do to. When I do decide to see another trainer? What can I do to get them to work with me at my level?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Well, when a trainer interviews you, make sure that they're listening to your needs, make sure they're writing things down, and they're paying attention to any potential injuries you may have where you are athletically. More important than not, have the person or any ask them if they do not do this, you demand it, say, stretch me before I work out with you.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

Oh, that's a good call.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Warm up your muscles. A lot of times, a lot of people go to the gym and they do it cold. They just go in and they start working out. But if you've been stationary all day long or for maybe in your case, six months to a year, your muscles aren't accustomed to that challenge. So stretch before and always stretch after. That's gonna help tremendously.

[Host (Bert)]

It's been my experience, too, with new trainers, Courtland, that there's, like, a really fine line. Like, I think trainers, you need to be sore when you leave, because I think you need to feel that something happened, like, if you walk out of there and you still feel the same way, I think some trainers feel like then they're just going to think they didn't get a good workout in. So I think that you have to have some muscle soreness for a trainer to go, okay, I did accomplish something

[Co-host (Courtland)]

today, but I do think that having.

[Caller 2]

I understand. Yeah. I mean, I'm not talking just initially afterwards. I'm talking like, can't get out of my car. Have a hard time going downstairs for several days afterwards, all that.

[Caller 3]

Some of Dovette's people. People have done that to you.

[Caller 2]

Bert.

[Caller 3]

Bert's actually burst into tears before in the show because he dropped his pen on the floor.

[Host (Bert)]

They do not like me there. None of the trainers like me at his gym. It has nothing to do.

[Caller 2]

Thank you guys so much for your help.

[Host (Bert)]

Thanks.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

We're gonna do this.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

I was gonna say that I do think a trainer is the way to go. If it's. If it's the way. If you can afford it, I think it's the way for you to stick to it. And anybody I know that's ever lost a significant amount of weight or even for myself, like, to stay on a workout plan, it's with a trainer, because there's one other person expecting you to be there. It's an appointment time. You can't just sort of brush it off like a class. I know in my own head, I'll be like, yeah, there's gonna be 10 other people there. They won't miss me. I need to do whatever. Or in this job, we can always come up with the excuse that we're too tired. Right. So, like, that's always my excuse. But if I have, you know, if Peter is there and waiting for me, and we have a set time and, you know, it's every week and it's at that time and whatever. I will go.

[Host (Bert)]

When Dolvette and I first started working out together, if I skipped a workout, he would find me. He'd call me. Like, the elevator phone would ring, and I'd pick it up, and I'd be like, is there an emergency? He's like, no, man, I know you're

[Co-host (Courtland)]

coming, but it is. I mean, it makes you stick to it.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Didn't you admit to lying to me once before?

[Host (Bert)]

Yeah, I'm lying.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

It's the first time for me I've ever been able to stick with anything.

[Host (Bert)]

Yeah.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

And I do think I do it. And it's set on the calendar and it's, you know, every. Every single week. It's twice a week. And I know that those are the times we're going to meet. And so I make sure that those are the times I actually get it in. And when I have to rely on myself for that third or fourth day to do it, a lot of times it doesn't happen.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Accountability, it's everything. Accountability. If you're gonna keep your appointments, you're gonna do what you have to do to make it happen. So if you have that commitment, then there's a great chance you're gonna do it. And it's almost. You have to think, you know, it's like, I know I have to be here. I'm gonna go and I'm gonna do and I'm gonna get the needs that I need and I'm gonna go on with my life. But you gotta put this in your life. It should be a part of your life no matter who you are.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

And it's gotta be in your calendar, you know, on your BlackBerry, your iPhone, whatever. It pops up as a reminder as an appointment time, you know, not something that I'll can.

[Host (Bert)]

Right.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

It's got to be because you never will. You won't. I know I won't.

[Host (Bert)]

Good morning. Q100.

[Caller 2]

Yes.

[Caller 4]

Hi, how are y'? All?

[Host (Bert)]

Good, thank you.

[Caller 4]

I wanted to know, I'm starting back, working out and I go to the gym, warm up. Is it best to do weights or cardio first?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

The answer to that question is you should do both.

[Host (Bert)]

Well, you can't do them both first, though.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Well, do do the combination. You warm up doing cardio and then you do weights. But go back to doing your cardio.

[Caller 3]

You're in shape like dovette is. You can do both.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

You can do pass those 60 pound dumbbells real quick.

[Host (Bert)]

So as soon as you show up

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

to your cardio first, do your cardio, warm up, commit to about five to 10 minutes. Do some weight training, Go back to your cardio also.

[Caller 4]

Go back and forth.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Go back and forth. Yeah, it's a good combination. Good way to burn fat and good way to have a lot of body confusion there where you're burning calories from both directions.

[Caller 4]

Okay, thank you.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

You're welcome.

[Caller 5]

Bye. Bye.

[Host (Bert)]

Here is Drew. Drew, what is going on? Hey, Drew.

[Caller 5]

Hey. How's it going, guys?

[Host (Bert)]

Good, sir.

[Caller 5]

I had a quick question. I'm going to start working out here again in a couple months, and I'm trying to figure out a way to get toned but not get real built up. You know, what's the best way to do that?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Lighter weights. A lot of Reps, that's how you get toned. If you obviously lift heavier weights, you're going to bulk. Bulky muscles, if you will. So make your weights lighter and do more reps within a set.

[Caller 5]

Okay?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Okay.

[Caller 5]

All right. I appreciate it.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

No worries.

[Host (Bert)]

And here's Beverly.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Good morning.

[Caller 6]

Good morning. I had a question about diet. As far as if you're watching your calories all day, then you go to the gym, is there a set time

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

you should cut off eating? I recommend you doing about five to six meals a day. Obviously your majors, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you want to have some snacks in between. Everyone has different lifestyles. There's no set time. You should finish eating. Some people work third shift. So what do I say to the caller? Anyone listening that works late at night or works at 2am There is no cut off time. You just have to make good choices. The suggestion that I would give you as the night progresses, before you go to bed, stay away from carbs late at night because it's the last thing that you're eating. Increase your protein intake and your vegetable intake.

[Host (Bert)]

Some people don't even know the difference between a carb and a protein. So when you say stay away from carbs, what are you talking about?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

I'm talking about especially white processed carbs, white rice, pastas, pastas, pizza, pizza, sandwiches, breads, you know, things like this. Yeah. Proteins obviously are your lean meats and your nuts and things of this nature. And vegetables obviously fall underneath the category of spinach, broccoli, et cetera, et cetera.

[Co-host (Courtland)]

Fruits are carbs though, right?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Yes, fruits are considered carbs.

[Host (Bert)]

Hey, Beverly, everybody's body is different, so it's hard to give advice. I think in that case because some people can eat half an hour before they work out and others like, I don't work, I won't eat 90 minutes before a workout or I'll get cramped up. So you just have to pay attention to your body.

[Caller 6]

But I'm saying before you go to bed. So do you recommend like two hours before you go to bed to stop eating?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Yeah. Two hours is enough time for your body to be in rest mode. Absolutely.

[Caller 6]

Okay. Thank you.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

You're welcome.

[Host (Bert)]

All right, nutrition. Let's say people have no idea, no idea when it comes to nutrition. What are places that they can go to to learn about that if they don't have the money to buy or purchase like, a nutrition plan from a professional? Where on the Internet do you go to find out about nutrition?

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Type in nutrition. Type in nutrition assistance. There's a lot of websites that guide you on. You can put in your calories. I can't think of the top of my head right now, but you. You put in a caloric count, or you put in what you eat, and they tell you exactly how many calories is in that. And then you get to determine based on that if. If it's good or bad for you.

[Caller 3]

Yeah, you can go right to, like, McDonald's.com has it.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

No, I wouldn't go there. Wendy's.com does.

[Host (Bert)]

But you gotta learn how to eat, man. You gotta learn how to eat.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

That is key. It's called the internal workout. That is key.

[Host (Bert)]

I mean, because if you're not. If you're not eating that, everything else in your life is based on really what you're eating. And if most people just don't know how to eat right, like what Dolvett was saying about eating five or six times a day, that's because that's a way to lose weight. People equate a lot of food with gaining weight. But if you eat small meals a lot, your body metabolism cranks up and you're burning fat more throughout the day. People don't know that. You gotta go online and learn this stuff.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

You have to. Smaller portions. Smaller portions throughout the day speeds up your metabolism, regardless.

[Host (Bert)]

All right, Talvette. Thanks, man.

[Trainer (Dolvette)]

Thank you, bro. The bird Show.