how to make the most out of personal training
There’s no doubt about it: personal training is an investment.
I fully believe that hiring a personal trainer is one of the best investments you can make for yourself. I also know how intimidating of a commitment it can be, so I put together some tips for how to get the most out of your investment!
Be specific about your goals.
Being specific about your goals is going to help your trainer be specific about the methods he/she uses to help you reach these goals. Generic goals such as “weight loss” or “getting stronger” or “living a healthier lifestyle” are great as long as you are okay with generic results. If you’re looking for something more specific, make sure you let your trainer know!
Ask questions.
If there is something you’re concerned about, ask your trainer! If there is something that doesn’t make sense, ask your trainer! If you’re not sure what something means, ask your trainer! Part of what you’re paying for is your trainer’s knowledge and expertise. Use it to your full advantage! I LOVE when my clients are engaged and ask questions because it keeps me sharp and lets me know that they are just as invested in the program as I am.
Be open and honest.
Help your trainer help you. The more information you give your trainer, the more he/she can use that information to make protocols, adjustments, and other aspects of your customized programming. Trainers are not mind readers. We can be problem solvers and game planners, but we can’t read your mind. How awesome would it be if we could, though?!
Follow your nutritional protocols.
One of the best things you can do to make progress is to take your nutritional protocols seriously. I can’t stress how big of a role your nutrition plays in your progress and the time it takes to reach your goals. If your trainer gives you nutritional protocols, work to the best of your ability to hit those and do your part outside of your sessions. As a trainer, it is my job and my responsibility to help you establish nutritional goals and explain the “why” behind them but it’s YOUR responsibility as a client to follow them and put the information I’ve given you into practice.
Be realistic about your goals and progress.
Unrealistic goals and deadlines are not only going to be frustrating for you, but they are going to be frustrating for your trainer. This ties into Tip #1 and #3. If you are specific, open, and honest about your goals from the very beginning, a good trainer will help you fine tune those goals and tell you what is realistic and what is not. Being 120 pounds as a mature adult woman is not realistic. Your trainer will tell you that. Dropping 50 pounds in 2 months is not realistic. Your trainer will tell you that. The more transparent you can be, the more your trainer can help you establish realistic and practical goals and timelines and try to eliminate frustration and noncompliance down the road.
Do your homework.
Your in-person sessions with your trainer are such a small percentage of the day, of the week, of the month. What you do outside of your sessions is incredibly important, as it constitutes the majority of your time. There are 168 hours in the week. I see clients anywhere from 1-4 hours out of those 168 hours. That is not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things! When you hire a trainer, you form a team. If I show up for the 1-4 hours out of the week to guide and push you in your workouts you owe it to yourself and to me to show up for the other 164-167 hours in the week that we are not together. Your trainer is a coach and a resource, but he/she is not your babysitter or your parole officer.
Make your sessions a priority. Avoid cancelling your sessions unless absolutely necessary.
This one pretty much speaks for itself.
Take your rest days seriously.
Your rest days are just as, if not MORE, important than your workouts. One of the biggest mistakes I see people making is working out too much. Too often, people fall into the trap of thinking more is better when it comes to fitness, reaching your goals, and reaching them quickly. But that is so far from the truth! If you want to learn why rest days are important, check out this post!
If your trainer tells you to do something, do it. If your trainer tells you not to do something, don’t do it.
I will be honest with you — nothing is more frustrating for your trainer than to see or hear about you doing something contrary to what they are advising you. We are on your team and we want to see you succeed just as much (if not more) than you do! We are not going to advise you to do or not to do something that isn’t in your best interest. When your car is broken, you’re not going to take it to a mechanic and still try to fix the car at the mechanic shop, right? No, you’re going to let the mechanic do his/her job. Approach your training in the same way. Personal training requires trust and humility. If you’ve done your research and hired a good trainer, TRUST their advice, recommendations, and protocols and HUMBLE yourself to the reality that, in this particular field, they are more knowledgeable than you. Otherwise, why are you hiring a trainer if you’re still going to do your own thing?
Show up for sessions on time.
Training sessions are typically 60 minutes. When a trainer is preparing for your session he/she is planning on 60 minutes and is budgeting for that amount of time. Showing up on time is going to allow you and your trainer to maximize every single minute of your session. Showing up 5-10 minutes early whenever possible is best because it will allow you to start promptly and complete everything that’s been scheduled for that day’s session.
Trust and respect your trainer’s expertise.
If you did your research and found a good trainer, trust that he/she has put in countless hours of education and hands on experience to get to a point where they feel confident and equipped to coach others.
