Personal trainers. Some people don’t like most of them and I’d have to agree. There are a lot out there, some I’ve met, that just simply make you do a load of cardio to lose weight and charge the earth. That didn’t seem like it was much of an option for me seen as I really, really dislike cardio workouts and the fact that I wanted to get some of the best advice, advice that would allow me to see changes in a matter of weeks.
Yes, cardio allows you to lose fat at a moderate rate, but what I learned from speaking to my personal trainer – and then reading some more about it online because I love research – is that making most of your workouts to involve mostly weights (and not cardio) will help to keep the weight off longer. That makes me happy and I bet it sounds good to you too.
So, I’ve listed some reasons why I use a personal trainer.
Motivation
I know I suck at keeping motivated to lose weight, go to the gym and actually lose the fat I have. Mine is a busy schedule and it gets even harder when you’re traveling to stick the correct foods and go to the gym religiously.
It was quite easy when I was back home because all I needed to do was respond to a text sent from my trainer and I’d head over to the fitness studio to train. But, when you’re in a different country that’s when the online personal trainer I use to help me lose weight comes in handy.
I can write an email, I need to inform him about what I’ve eaten and how things are going, and when I have WiFi or internet connection at the gym I can log on to Skype and have a fairly standard workout session.
It’s a little complicated with time zone issues and the fact that I really do need to push myself to workout, but it works better for me than having no one there to talk to or consult.
Experience in Muscles & Body Composition
Everyone’s body is different and you simply can’t dish out a ‘one size fits all’ philosophy. That’s what I’ve learnt over the passed few years working with a fitness coach. I’m what’s know as hyper mobile, which means my muscles are more flexible than a lot of people out there.
This means I can extend my joints beyond what others can, which is great because I can become quite flexible but then it isn’t that good that I could over flex my muscles when I’m training and actually do some real damage (apparently).
I like this though because it makes me concentrate when I’m training, and for the fact that I don’t really need to stretch at the start or the end of a workout (more time for me!).
I wouldn’t have know about being hyper mobile without seeing my personal trainer.
Experience With Previous Weight Loss Clients
This is the big one I think. You’re always going to get people in the fitness industry that have worked with people who wanted to lose weight – bit a nonsensical statement really. But, what I mean is people you can ask for a reference and verify that the trainer worked with them to improve, and that the person continues to improve.
Fitness coaches & personal trainers cost money and you want to make sure you’re going to be getting your money’s worth – not getting fit for a few months and then being unable to keep the weight off. Ask friends for recommendations and tell your friends when you get a good one.
An Understanding of Good & Bad Foods
All food is good for us as long as we eat a balanced diet, right? Nope, it’s bullshit. Some of use are allergic to wheat (my PT), some of us are allergic to carbs (me) – well, I should say carbs intolerant because my body will just store carbs as fat and yes, any kinds of cards – and others are allergic to sugar (again, me).
This fitness guy or gal will most likely ask you to keep a food diary to see what you eat and then how you feel a few hours after eating. I know that after eating garlic, for instance, that I’ll get heartburn. And, that eggs and a coffee in the morning get me going faster than the road runner!
While they are not going to be a nutritionist/dietitian (click here to discover more) even if they’ve got a great deal of qualifications and knowledge, they should be able to advise you. And, if they can’t then refer you to someone who can.
If you’ve read my food allergies writeup then you’ll understand how important knowing what you’re allergic to is.
Others
These are some of the reasons that I chose to use a personal trainer. If you’re someone who has back or knee issues then, depending on their qualifications and experience, they’ll probably be able to write you a program to help you with that problem.
If you do have any questions about personal trainers, or you have different reasons why you chose a fitness professional, then I’d love to hear from you in the comments.