Why Hire a Personal Trainer?

Obviously, this post is self-promoting (hehe) but isn't that the point of my blogs?

I want to explain the benefits of hiring a personal trainer. A lot of people will pull information off the internet about workouts and exercise and call it good. And while I'm glad that people are exercising (I really am; it's step one towards living a healthier lifestyle), there comes a point where you need to be training in a more personalized and focused approach in order to see optimal results.

And I stress optimal because anyone can see results from doing anything. Anyone new to fitness will see results in the first few weeks. Anyone doing a new training program will see results. Novel stimulus triggers different adaptations in the body. Results. However, are you getting to these results in the most efficient and effective way possible?

This has to do with minimum effective dosage. Having a trainer can help you determine what your minimum effective dose is to still induce results. Doing more isn't always better. Doing more can actually limit results. Determining your minimum effective dose is crucial to building a personalized training program that gives you the best results with the least amount of work.

This doesn't mean that you should be half-assing every workout you do. Oh no no no. This is another advantage of working with a personal trainer. They aren't going to let you slack off during a workout. Now, there are definitely some trainers who are more lenient in their standards than others, but most hold their clients to a fairly high standard. Having a trainer not only helps you figure out the most effective workout for the least amount of work, but also helps you keep your training intensity and effort high to make sure you are yielding those results.

Perspective. Remember, your trainer only sees you an hour or two out of the whole week. They can help you shift your focus back into perspective and look to what your goals are. During the craziness of life, it can be hard to remember why you're training so hard or why you're trying to eat clean. You have goals to reach, but those goals can slowly fade into the background if you're not having someone hold you accountable and provide a fresh perspective.

Whenever you walk into a training session, your trainer is there to check in with you. How are you feeling? How did your week go? Were you sore after your last training session? How is that nagging injury doing? All of the answers to these questions help your trainer determine the next course of action, make a game plan, and adjust according to your needs. This accountability helps with keep you on track towards achieving a healthier lifestyle, and also helps you to keep working through challenges.

For example, injuries are often an instant setback for a lot of people. It can be hard to determine what to do in the wake of an injury. Do you rest? Do you keep training? If your trainer has enough experience working with injuries and is qualified and knowledgeable enough, then they can provide adjustments to your training program so you can keep training effectively, without losing the physical progress that you've made, and set yourself up for a fantastic comeback when you're able to train with full-force again.

Trainers are also valuable for helping you to form healthy habits. I want my clients to workout and eat right in a sustainable, long-term approach. It's all fine and dandy while someone is working with me and they get results, but if they don't see me for a few weeks or even a month, or maybe they stop working with me, will they still see results and improvements?

I not only have weekly sessions with my clients but I also try and integrate habit coaching along with our communications. Habits are the key to long-term success. If you don't make exercise a habit, it can be hard to get yourself to the gym and get your workout in. The more that something feels more habitual and part of a routine, the easier it is to get it done, even on days where you don't feel like it. And if only you could go back to the workouts you've skipped because you just "didn't feel like it"… 😉