Having a personal trainer is a great way to learn about fitness and to be held accountable to a personal goal that you have made. I believe more people should utilize the expertise of personal trainers, regardless of fitness level or knowledge. I can't tell you how many times I walk into a gym and see exercisers with bad form. This is an extremely dangerous way to keep your ego intact. Trainers are certified for a reason. Use their knowledge to build your own so that you can go into the gym with confidence of knowing how to properly perform a plethora of exercises (even without those little pictures on the machines!)
Those that are able to afford a life-long trainer-and, I realize that doesn't come cheap over the years-mostly keep their trainer as a motivator to keep their progress up. Often, the client has found the perfect trainer for them and doesn't want to lose that. It is crucial for your success with a PT program to find the right trainer for you to truly see the return on your investment. Not only should the trainer be certified AND knowledgeable, but he/she should be someone you look forward to seeing. It is crucial to find someone that matches your personality and honestly cares about your goals as a client.
A more wallet-friendly alternative is to join a group training or boot camp program. While you won't receive as much personal attention, you can feel confident that your trainer will ensure your proper execution of exercises. It has also been proven that having a support system is just as good if not better at holding you accountable to your common goal. Most exercisers simply want to lose weight. Boot camps are great for this majority, as the higher intensity callisthenic exercises are among the best for fat loss.
However, showing up for your personal training session and/or boot camp is not all that you should do to maximize results. Therefore, I have compiled this list of tips for working with a trainer. You would be surprised at the number of exercisers that neglect these essential ingredients to creating a healthier, more energized, and slimmer you!
• Communication is key. In order to prevent injury, you should communicate with your trainer about any pain you may be feeling. Sometimes you can have perfect form, but you still are straining a muscle somewhere. Every body is unique in its imbalances, and your trainer does not know what your body feels like. Now, there IS a difference between injury and pain. If it's burning, that's the goal! If you aren't feeling anything, the weight may be too light. Don't hesitate to tell your trainer you need more or less weight if you aren't feeling anything by the 8th or 9th rep, or if you can't continue with proper form at this point. While your trainer should be paying attention to these things, sometimes it helps not to waste time (and time is money!).
• Eat right for energy and replenishment. Most folks know what they should be eating and what they shouldn't. Following the 40/30/30 principle is ideal-40 percent of calories should be carbohydrates, 30 percent should be protein, and no more than 30 percent should be fats. If you don't want to get that complicated, just lay off the junk food and soda (or sweet tea!) and you should be good. More importantly, you should make sure that you eat a meal two hours and/or a light snack (protein bar is ideal) at least thirty minutes prior. If you are working out in the morning, make sure you eat well the night before, because it is not a good idea to work out on a full stomach. The main point is, don't show up to a workout having eaten like a bird all day and expect to have enough energy to burn during the workout.
• Listen to your trainer. Usually your trainer knows best (that's why you hired them, right?). You absolutely should listen to your trainer when they're explaining how to properly perform an exercise or set weights down. A lot of exercisers feel skeptical of things their trainer says (and often you should!), because someone told them something about a fad diet or certain exercise being bad for them. Give your trainer the opportunity to explain his or her opinion before you shoot them down. If you don't feel comfortable with their answer, you may need to find another trainer. Often times, you will learn something new when soliciting the opinion of your trainer. Just know that the industry has rather divided sources of information and often fitness and nutrition can be overanalyzed.In the end, weight loss is simple: burn calories or diet in order to create a caloric deficit. Think of a 3-legged stool, with each leg representing diet, exercise, and rest and recovery. If you don't have all three elements, the stool will fall down every time.
WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!
-Steve, at WhyWeight-
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