Valuable tips for training with your PT!

With your PT now on your payroll, keep in mind these valuable tips for moving forward with your fitness instructor to ensure that you get the most out of your investment, you start to see the rewards and feel as though you are getting real value for money - this makes your relationship a win/win. The better you do on your journey with your PT the greater the likelihood that you will refer him/her to your family, friends and colleagues which will create demand and make him/her more busy and cement their reputation. Everyone's a winner, but also, don't ever be afraid to speak up if you feel this is not the case! Sierra Dunaway (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sierra_Dunaway) has written this article on ezinearticles (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4328946) which is good advice once again and worth you reading to ensure that win/win is created and sustained for you and your PT.


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-

What to expect from your first PT session?

Having been through the previous Posts and the advice and guidance offered in searching for and sourcing the right PT for you, the next step is get stuck in and begin changing a few things in your life. Making this step shows commitment and determination - well done, and congratulations! So what can you expect from your first PT session with your new best friend, mentor, coach and instructor? Well, for the investment you make - quite a lot actually! I sourced this great article that whilst a little lengthy,  gives you a clear indication of what you can expect from your very first inaugural session with your PT. Written by J. Nadeau (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Nadeau) and sourced through ezinearticles (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8245955)


1. Arrival Promptness. 
Your first meeting will set the tone for the rest of your sessions. Have you heard the saying, "early is on time, being on time is late and if you're late don't bother"? This should be your motto when you meet your trainer for the first time. Part of the reason that most clients hire personal trainers, yoga teachers and Pilate's teachers is so that it helps them stay on track. If the person who is supposed to be keeping you on track shows up late, what does that say about how the rest of your experience will go? Fitness professionals should be 5-10 minutes early and prepared to begin on time as scheduled. This saves you time and money. There is nothing worse than a client showing up before the trainer and the client using part of their paid session while the trainer gets ready to begin. Make sure to address how important your time is and how you expect promptness for your sessions. If you live in a region where you can expect weather restrictions at certain times of the year or traffic issues at certain times of the day, make sure to discuss back up plans for if these issues should arise. Such as if there is a snow storm, hurricane, extensive backed up traffic at rush hour etc. Make sure you have exchanged contact information so that you or the trainer can contact each other to let the other know that you may run a couple minutes behind schedule due to extensive circumstances.

2. Responsiveness to Emails/Calls. 
We recommend that trainers respond to client inquiries, questions, issues, concerns and scheduling ASAP. Meaning we recommend as little time as immediately to no more than 24 hours. Trainers should respond to emails, calls, texts etc. within a 24 hour period at max. Your time is IMPORTANT! Trainers should fully understand that clients have busy lives which are typically why they hire a trainer in the first place. Don't be afraid to speak up if your trainer is taking longer than 24 hours to respond to your requests as you are paying for their service and your time is valuable.

3. Social media.
Ask your fitness professional if they utilize social media to stay connected and get important information out. This is a great method to stay up to date with the latest fitness plans, programs and workouts as well as be notified of weather cancellations etc. Many trainers utilize this to deliver helpful information to clients to help them stay motivated such as workout videos, daily fitness motivation and more. Make sure to ask if they have twitter, pinterest, Facebook, wordpress, blog or instagram and connect with them before you begin services.

You can also use this to vet for the quality of service that they offer by looking at their comments, feed, friends, followers and posts. For example, if you go to their Facebook page and you see them smoking and eating a cheeseburger you can imagine this doesn't really say "motivate me". They should take their profession seriously as this will mean they take your time, money, results, their job and your well being seriously.

4. Communication. 
Remember that all great relationships are built on communication and trust. This should be your marker for great service. You should be able to discuss with your fitness professional if you do not like a specific exercise, feel uncomfortable, have physical limitations, medical limitations, scheduling needs, an issue with your service, customer service issue, lack of results or any additional concern. Personal trainers, yoga teachers and Pilates teachers understand that it is a "personal" business that they need to deliver quality service in order for customers to be happy and they should place great significance on your opinions. Many will even ask your feedback, offer surveys, questionnaires and your opinion to make sure they are delivering the best service and meet your needs.

5. Schedule.
Trainers who offer little flexibility in their schedule should be a no go! As you would think wow this trainer has so many clients that they are booked solid this should be a red flag. You will want to make sure that trainers have availability for multiple time slots should your schedule change in the future. Ask if they work nights, weekends, early mornings, holidays etc. Make sure you check in advance before signing up as life does happen and there is nothing worse than having signed up and not being able to book a session with your chosen trainer. Most trainers understand that clients typically are hiring them because they have limited time and a tight schedule so they are flexible to work around you as your schedule should change.

6. Equipment. 
Ask what equipment will be used during your sessions. Some gym trainers focus on machines which others free weights, some boot camp instructors offer body weight exercises and others bring small apparatus to mix it up. Ask what equipment is to be used as well as ask for demonstrations and to try it out during your first session. You want to make sure you enjoy the style of the trainer and use of their selected equipment before you chose a program. Each session should be catered to each individual clients specific needs and not a predetermined generic program.

7. Personality. 
The most common question we get about trainers is "How do I know if I will like them?" Do you have an idea of what type of personality motivates you? Don't be afraid to speak your mind. If you know you want a trainer to yell at you, or if you want a workout buddy, or if you like a compassionate personality, or if you need lots of positive encouragement there are many personalities to suit any training need. The trick is to have an idea of who is best suited to motivate you. Take a look at who your friends and co-workers are and reflect on what will be the best fit to make sure you will be motivated. Every client has unique needs for who motivates them and that is okay since no two people are the same. We want to make sure clients get the most out of their services and enjoy their sessions since your time and money is valuable. We are here to help you design the best fitness program for your goals.

8. Client Testimonials, Reviews and References. 
Get real time feedback from current and old clients about their experience with your chosen fitness professional. Ask for phone numbers, written reviews or testimonials and online reviews so that you have all the information you need for making a decision. Don't be afraid to ask their customers questions about their experience, their success, any issues that may have arisen, if they are currently training, how often they train, and how long they have been with a specific instructor. Remember these are opinions so you can always make your own decision about the professional but it is usually a good guide for any major red flags.

9. Fun. 
Remember your first session with your fitness professional should be a measured on the same scale that you would gauge a meeting with a coworker or business contact. You should feel that you are able to vocalize your opinions, be able to express yourself and get the most out of your meeting. Don't forget one of the most important factors is that you should HAVE FUN! Fitness doesn't have to be stagnant and neither should your workout! You should be able to develop a professional relationship and have fun while you get results.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-