In life we will always benefit from the expertise of others. We hire a mechanic so they can discover what's wrong with our car and fix it. The expertise of a pastry chef is needed to create a cake for you that no box or recipe can possibly offer. A barber or hair stylist is needed to properly care for your hair. So why not seek the expertise of a certified personal trainer?
The buff guy benching 400 pounds at the gym, or the girl who just completed her fifth marathon with a new personal record may seem like the people to ask for fitness advice, but the issue here is; unless they happen to have an education and experience that proves otherwise, they don't know how to train YOU.
Yes, there are some knowledgeable hard-bodies, and athletes at your health club, work place, or school, but their trial and error over the years helped them figure out how to train them, and chances are that despite their results, they made plenty of mistakes and took more time figuring it out. A good personal trainer will not simply design a challenging workout for you. They are an expert, and will be able to guide you through the twisting maze of fitness and nutrition, while also understanding how to take into consideration your limitations. The person next to you at the gym is not going to be able to give proper education on what to do if you have just coming off knee surgery, have back issues, are on blood pressure medication, or have never picked up a weight before.
Being successful about fitness and nutrition goes beyond simply doing “3 sets of 10”. Progression, intensity, volume, frequency, time, and mode are just a few of the areas that need to be considered when designing a fitness program. Should you train for hypertrophy, endurance, strength, or power? How do you improve your aerobic base versus anaerobic threshold? How often should you perform a specific type of training? Why should one exercise be chosen over another? What order should you perform your exercises in? This overwhelming body of information is the likely culprit behind why many people avoid the gym they belong to, shirk free weights, and order workout DVDs that collect dust on a shelf.
You won’t need a personal trainer for life, just as you don't need to see your dentist every day. Hiring a personal trainer is what is needed to get you started, change your path, or break through that slump. Hiring a personal trainer is definitely a smart call. Certified personal trainers at your gym can easily answer your questions, but only by hiring one of them can you finally make sense of all the information.
When you speak with a personal trainer, make sure you are hiring one with experience. Just as you want the best doctor to take care of you, you want the best possible personal trainer to educate you and guide you. Ask to about their credentials, to see past client testimonials, and their overall experience. Hiring a trainer is one of the best investments you can make for you and your health.
Start today, and see what a difference an expert can make!
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