What Can a Personal Trainer Do for Me?

Do you really need a personal trainer? Aren't you perfectly capable of working out on your own? Maybe and maybe not... A professional trainer can be an extremely valuable tool for some people. With the right mindset on both sides, it can be a hugely productive relationship.

Here are 5 Questions to Ask Yourself when considering whether you would benefit from working with a professional trainer.

1. How Disciplined Am I?

Do you have your gym hours carved in stone, emblazoned across your calendar, etched in gold leaf in your weekly diary? If you are someone who never, ever, ever, EVER misses your workout, then maybe accountability is not your issue. For the other 99% of us, a trainer is useful!

You already know that Commitment and Consistency are the very best strategies for meeting your fitness goals. A trainer keeps you accountable. Just knowing that you have already paid for your session and that there is a person waiting for you, is often all it takes to make it to the gym on those tough days when you'd rather hit the drive-through donut shop and call it a day.

2. How Efficient Am I?

The cost of a trainer is something that might seem extravagant, and WE GET IT! Your money, time, and attention are precious. Is the investment worth it?

Consider this: If you have undefined goals, unrealistic expectations and unorganized training habits, you could be spending money on a gym membership, wasting your time, and over-extending your energy without seeing or feeling results. A trainer can actually be the most cost-effective way to work. An experienced and educated trainer will...

• Help you clearly define achievable goals and manage realistic expectations.

• Design a program just for you. (Don't chase tik tok workout trends - Get a program!)

• Tell you, honestly, when you are not working hard enough.

• Support, encourage, and motivate you when needed.

• Progress to different exercises or more challenge when you are ready.

Don't chase tik tok workout trends - Get a program!

3. How Safe Am I?

An experienced and educated trainer has a depth of knowledge about injuries - ways to reduce them, ways to work while injured, and ways to work that rehab injuries, without exacerbating them or causing further, on-going problems.

A good trainer will not only give you the appropriate number of reps, sets, or time to perform an exercise, but provide you with the correct form and technique to keep you safe as you progress, for example adding more weight or increasing the difficulty. A certified trainer has studied best practices for spotting you, stretching you, and other ways of supporting you as you work.

And, finally, a seasoned trainer has a big bag o' tricks! What does that mean for you? More variety and less risk of over-use injury. And many modifications so that you can continue to work toward your personal goals within your specific limitations. In short, if you are experiencing injuries, even minor ones, during your workouts or are coming back from a big injury, a trainer might be a good idea.

4. How Motivated Am I?

As we mentioned above, an experienced trainer has a wide variety of exercises. There is never (can we say, "never?" How about, "almost never," just to be safe...) only one exercise for one goal. Especially since most gyms have a plethora of equipment, props, and toys. But even within the bodyweight world of tasks, there is (almost?!) always more than one way to skin a cat.

So, say you are working on, Skin-the-Cats, a solid trainer knows several warm ups, several preparatory drills, and several techniques to help you get strong enough, compressed enough, and confident enough, to try it. This not only reduces the risk of injury, it also reduces the risk of burnout!

Do you find it difficult to stay committed and consistent with workouts that are boring, stale, or not getting you where you want to go? We do, too! That's why we like to ask the client to do the hard work of working hard, and leave the work of developing fresh, safe, inspiring programs to the professional trainers.

Clients should do the hard work of working hard. Trainers should work to keep the program fresh.

5. How Educated Am I?

Did you go to graduate school to study the human body, how it functions, and how to appropriately and effectively train it? We did.

Do you spend your evenings reading up-to-date research about best practices and new developments in Exercise and Sport science? We do.

Is your idea of a good time, geeking out on social media to collect new tips and techniques? Ours is.

Do you have ideas about fitness that you can't wait to share with your friends? We do. (For example, make sure you read our article, Train Smart with Dumbbells, for some good reminders about HOW to train with weight and, 5 (more!) Reasons to Use Dumbbells, about WHY to train with weight.) We love this stuff!

So, whether you are looking for someone to jump start your journey toward health, fill in the gap between your post-op physical therapy and your own independent workout, or guide you as you maintain your current fitness level into a more mature age, we are here to educate you on how to achieve your best.

Do you think training with a pro might be for you? Contact us at TrainMovePlayPT@gmail.com to schedule your free consultation.

Follow TrainMovePlayPT on socials for tips on form, creative workout ideas, and recommendations from our experienced trainers.

Train Smart. Move Well. Play Hard.