Personal Training

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The summer is gone and fall is here. Are you happy with your physique and fitness or do you just intend to cover it up with baggy shirts and jeans until the spring comes?

Oh! Right… you didn’t took it off during summer either.

From time to time I feel this urge to look around at the fitness trend, what’s new, what’s going on, I look at the gyms and try to figure out what’s happening. But reality is no matter how you cover it, it’s always the same, not many people actually see results. No wonder after a period of trial and error they quit and go back to “their lifestyle” (which they never actually changed), and their bodies keep deteriorating not only on the outside but inside as well.

Think about it, what did you do over summer or what are you planning to do in next coming months? Did you go on a cruise, on vacation, to the beach, are you planning to visit your family for the holidays, a wedding to attend, class reunion? The list goes on and on.

However this is the question: ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HOW YOU LOOK AND FEEL?

If you are not satisfied with your health and fitness and are tired of just going through the motions on your own, never really accomplishing any of your goals, then it’s time to realize you need help.

Perhaps you may think, hiring a personal trainer is expensive, or you may have some other valid concerns. I personally feel the same way!

However let me address the first issue; is a personal trainer expensive? It’s not expensive when you compare it to surgery, liposuction, and other alternatives; that besides of being expensive may not be safe as well. While at the same time you learn nothing on how to prevent your body from getting to the same place again after a couple of months or years. You either invest in yourself today or regret it tomorrow and pay a bunch more in costly health issues or by being deprive of enjoy your life with those you love.

Reality is that personal training fees may vary from one location to another and from the experience and expertise of the trainer. But remember you are investing in yourself to be in the best shape of your life. Ask yourself, what price do I put into my dream body? Keep this in mind, how you treat yourself today will define you tomorrow… what goes around comes around!

Now comes your concerns: how do I know if I hired the right trainer? This is the tricky part, I will however give it up to the people I respect in this industry and are making changes as we keep evolving into understanding how the body works and what are the best path to get results, regardless of our goals.

This where I like to highlight the differences between the so called personal trainer and a true FITNESS COACH. In my opinion a personal trainer might take your money, count repetitions and get you tired.

A true FITNESS COACH, will motivate you, guide you through the right path, work hard with you in order to inspire and educate you into best shape of your life. A true FITNESS COACH will be able to understand your background, have you had surgery, have you been injured, do you want to compete in a Figure, Fitness or Bodybuilding show, do I want to look good, and so many things that must be taken into consideration when working for you. Usually a true Fitness Specialist is able to explain his methods of training and why they are effective and how they relate to you. Is there an assessment process? How long will it take to see realistic results?

What you are looking for here is a reflection of trainer credibility and expertise; anyone can print a business card with a muscle head or fit girl as their logo, and call themselves a trainer. So if the trainer says something like "I kick my clients’ butts…No pain, no gain, dude," thank them for their time and move on. Be an intelligent consumer. Ask for specifics and clarification if you don’t understand something. It’s your life you are trying to regain or looking to improve.

Also you should never base your selection solely on physical appearance. A person with a flawless-looking body may not know the first thing about safely teaching, proper exercise techniques or how they relate to your body or worst to teach you how to achieve your own goals. This is especially true if they have achieved their own results through things like drugs, eating disorders or other things.

The person you hire will be teaching you skills and lifestyle habits and doesn’t need to look like a model in a fitness magazine. But trainers do need to practice what they preach. Let’s face it. Are you really going to respect someone’s opinion if you’re in better shape than they are? Probably not.

Above all, make sure you choose a trainer with whom you feel comfortable and whether their personality is a good match with yours. Chemistry will go along way towards your goals.

Remember this…

ANY TRAINER can get you tired.

BUT A TRUE FITNESS SPECIALIST KNOWS HOW TO MAKE YOU BETTER!

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