Reaching your physical fitness goals takes a lot of time and effort. It can be intimidating, and it’s completely normal to lack motivation sometimes. Getting stuck is another common problem people have when working out. Just like with anything else, hiring professional help like a coach is a great way to take yourself to the next level. Personal trainers are one of the best resources you will find for helping you with your workouts.
If hiring one is worth it or not isn’t really a question. Many different studies show that people who get personal trainers have greater results (like weight loss and muscle gain), eat healthier, and have more positive outlooks on fitness than those who don’t.
If you’re getting stuck reaching your fitness goals, having trouble getting started, or have been considering getting a personal trainer, let me share with you 10 ways a personal trainer can help you.
1. Improved Results with Supervised Training
There are some people who are extremely self-motivated, who will read books and seek advice on their workouts and implement them on their own. But most people will see better results and see them faster while working with a trainer. Just like coaches guide athletes through development in their sport, trainers will guide you through your workouts.
2. Education
It's important to know not only what you are doing, but also why you’re doing it. Trainers can demonstrate good form for each exercise, help you get your body into the right position, and ensure you’re doing the movements fully and correctly. When building your own workouts, they will help you choose appropriate weights, sets, super sets, and reps of each exercise. Whether you want to learn what exactly each exercise does for you, lifting techniques, how to build a workout, or how to reach a specific goal, trainers are there to guide you.
3. Motivation
There are people who are self-motivated individuals who power through their goals and crush workouts, but that is not the norm in my experience. Trainers help motivate you by acting as your workout partner and coach. Little things like putting weights away for you, keeping count of your reps, encouraging you during sets, and telling you “Good job” go a long way for developing a positive mentality around working out.
4. Accountability
Having scheduled workouts with your trainer encourages you to show up and not skip the gym. Because you invested time and money into working out with a trainer, and are showing up regularly, you’re more likely to see success and reach your goals. Plus you have another person invested in your progress, so that's just another person you don't want to let down in addition to yourself.
5. Goals
Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, work around a special need, or train for a sport, you can find a trainer who will be able to coach you through the entire process. They will help you define your goals and make them S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely). Once you have your roadmap, they are there to coach you through it. Most importantly, they can help you adjust as needed along the way to make sure you stay on track and reach your goals. These adjustments are a big reason why many people get a trainer in the first place, when they get stuck in their progress. Don't be stuck.
6. Personalized Plan
Trainers will develop a plan made just for you and your goals. Taking all the planning and prep work off of your plate so that you can focus all your energy on the workouts is an amazing time saver and removes one of the biggest barriers to achieving fitness goals. This is also especially helpful if you have injuries, medical considerations, or other limitations. This can range from working out around new or chronic injuries, chronic health conditions like arthritis or asthma, pregnancy, or just poor balance/stability.
7. Maximize Your Time
Pacing is an important part of a good workout. Your muscles need proper time to recover between sets, but you also don't want to have too much down time and waste effort. Your heartrate and rate of perceived effort play a big factor in cardio. Trainers will help you pace your workouts correctly without over-exerting yourself or risking injury.
8. Challenging and New Exercises/Workouts
Sometimes variety is just what we need to stay focused and interested. Trainers will be able to push your limits both physically and creatively. They can show you different ways of doing things that you might not have thought of, or alternatives to exercises you can’t do or aren’t comfortable doing.
9. Full-Service Workouts
Not having to pick up a weight that’s not part of your workout is one of my favorite benefits of working with a trainer. When you are loading and unloading weight plates between sets, changing out dumbbells, and thinking about what exercise you’re doing next, that adds a lot of time and lifting to your workouts. Not worrying about any of this saves time and allows you to focus all your energy on your lifts.
10. Effectively Workout on Your Own and At Home
Trainers will be able to tell you how to adapt your workouts to equipment you have at home. This comes in handy for days you don’t make it to the gym, or if you plan on working out primarily at home in the future. Some personal trainers will also come to your home for your scheduled workouts, and even bring equipment. Whether you work out with a trainer at home or at a gym, after a while you will have all the tools and knowledge you need to effectively work out on your own.
Just like anything else you want to do in life, the best way to improve at some point is to get professional help like a consultant, a coach, or in this case, a personal trainer. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and find one today. Hiring a personal trainer could be one of the best decisions you ever make.