So, you're finally taking the leap of faith into your fitness journey. You got the gym membership, you have your workout playlist and a new set from GymShark. You are getting pumped up to start hitting the gym hard 6 days per week because you heard online about how important fitness is. Let's go!! But fast forward 1 month. we missed the gym so far this week and it's already Thursday. Welp, this week was a wash, we'll start fresh next week. Next week comes, oh well i have this birthday party to go to out of town, I'll start next week. Two weeks go by, still no progress. "Looks like working out isn't for me".
This is unfortunately the reality for most people who decide to start going to the gym. They go in without a plan, doing too much too soon, without anyone but themselves to hold them accountable. This almost always leads to lack of success. This is where I come in. I am a personal trainer. I've been helping people stay on the path pf their fitness journey for seven years. I used to think, "personal training is so expensive, why would someone pay me $50 per session if they can get all the stuff i would teach them online for free?" Well, after working with people for the past 7 years and seeing how sloppy and unaccountable we can all be with doing things we don't really want to do, I couldn't disagree more. There truly aren't many reasons why people get personal trainers. It boils down to just three. And without further adue , here are 3 reasons why people get and need a personal trainer:
Accountability I used to think it was all about information. Me as a trainer, I'm just so smart and I have this valuable information that nobody else can access and it is my job to bestow this information to the masses. Well, the truth is, everyone I train has access to the internet. And if they just type in "how to lose weight" they will have more options then they know what to do with. Even though it is the trainers job to filter the bad information out, any amazing plan with bad adherence will have an unfavorable outcome. So it its the accountability to follow through that is more important than the method that is used. You, the client, need someone to make a plan and expecting you to follow the plan or else they'll be disappointed in you. Let's be honest here. We tend to care what others think of us. Why not use that to our advantage? In this case, losing weight. The trainer will be waiting for you at the gym they days you don't feel like showing up. I'll tell you one thing, Its the days you show up when you don't want to that count the most! Also your trainer is going to call you out when you need it! You have a roadmap to your success with practical check-points. You must be held accountable to accomplish these goals which leads me to our second point:
Realistic Goal Setting It's the trainers job to assess where you are currently at, and give you a realistic goal post for your next step. For example, if you're not going to the gym at all, we may begin with 1-2 days per week. No matter how motivated you are. The thing is, we want to build some momentum. That way, in the future when we do train 5 days per week, its a way smoother transition from 0-5. 1-2 days per week is way easier to stick to over the long haul. What I've found over the past 7 years, is the majority of people have unrealistic goals and expectations when they begin their fitness journey. I think this is mostly caused by the marketing of certain workout programs and extraordinary results that the top 1% get. However, thats a topic for a separate post. People want to lose 30lbs in two months or lose their belly fat but also fix their arthritis in their hips. Or my personal favorite, "I want to lose fat and build muscle at the same time!" The trainer will be honest with them and tell them what is truly achievable. Or better yet. What is realistically achievable. If we're truly only going to be able to train 2 day per week and we're not really tracking your calories or not meal prepping, then chances are, we're not going to lose weight very quickly. However, we can start small and build that habits it takes to track food, meal prep and train consistently, and if we lose some weight in that pursuit then even better! The time will pass anyway, so we might as well do something that we can build on for more than a year. We will be with you every step of the way, which brings me to my last point: 3. Relationship This goes hand and hand with accountability. I have noticed, the clients of mine who get the best results have been training the longest. Go figure. And how they have trained so long is the client and I have developed a good relationship. If you're training someone 3 times per week, thats 3 hours of undivided attention. Thats sometimes more time than people spend with their spouse or kids! I mean these people have met my family, have been over to my house for events. You two know all about each others lives, fears, political stances, goals, past, and more. There have been sessions where a client might have something going on in their personal lives and we sped the whole session just talking about it. Iv'e had clients that would have quit if it wasn't for the relationship we've built. And who's to say that thats wrong? Personal training is not just about giving exercises and counting reps. If you can have a client want to come to the gym because they're excited to see you then it's a win-win! Notice how none of these reasons have to do with training specifically. It's more the relationship you have with your training and the guidance opposed to the workouts. Anyone can find a workout routine online, but not everyone can devise a plan on how to accomplish their goal and stick to it for years. It' way easy if you can have a trainer (friend) in your pocket to help you along the way!