Personal Trainers can be workout enthusiasts, drill sargeants, cheerleaders, eyecandy, or any combination thereof but this is not the whole picture. The best trainers offer much more, making them not just a luxury item for those with expendable income, but a valuable resource for those seeking better health. Here’s what Personal Trainers do and why I think everyone who is serious about exercise as a necessary part of life should have one, even if only for a short time.
RESEARCH: There is a huge amount of exercise information out there. With so many magazines, blogs, fitness clubs, books, and various other products who can sort through it all? A huge part of what a trainer does is to look at that information and critically analyze it. This is how they can help their clients make informed decisions about a subject they do not have the time to research on their own. Why do the research
SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The exercises we perform in gyms are skills. Just like learning to play a sport takes skill development and practice, so does working out. Trainers learn about these skills and acquire them for themselves. They then work with hundreds of clients, teaching them how to exercise successfully. Like learning a musical instrument, golf, or any other highly skilled activity, lessons can help you achieve more quickly. Be ready to practice some basics, even if they seem simple. Training basics
TIME MAXIMIZATION: There is no miracle program. Everyone is an individual with slightly different needs. Trainers can look at a client and find the most important improvement to make right now. There are plenty of great exercises out there, but if they don’t apply to your specific situation they won’t take you towards your goals. Is this the most important improvement I can make
Great personal trainers are experts in their field. We go to them for information because we have entered territory that is out of our scope. Be on the lookout for signs that your trainer embodies the things I have listed above. Be prepared to hear things you did not expect – why else would you go to a professional?