Think personal training and many think about pushing through pain.
It's easy to imagine getting inspired by uplifting words.
It's also natural to think of coaching which means perfect form.
While those things can help, here’s what I've found matters most for making personal training work:
* YOU GET EXERCISE DONE AND DONE REGULARLY
Exercise frequency matters most and usually that's the greatest challenge. There’s no other way to improve fitness or change your body than to exercise regularly for months. Intensity, exercise selection and brilliant technique never make up for lack of frequency.
In reality the main benefit of Personal Training is it makes exercise happen. Often when people don't want to (& otherwise wouldn't) do it.
Getting it done is the basis of any client’s results. * MAINTAINS MOTIVATION IN A SUBTLE WAY
I don’t need to yell to get someone moving. Nor do I have any magic slogans I use.
Still, I get people to do more, at harder level, than they'd do alone. I remember a client telling me a PT session with me is worth 2 done on his own.
There are a few reasons why: -
-A program which has people doing a little more week by week works. When it comes to getting fit people tend to try and improve too quick or not at all. A personal trainer can ensure there's those small increases, which add up over time. Progress from effort is a great motivator.
-My mere presence keeps the client focused to ensure a solid workout. Busy people tend to exhaust their limited amounts of focus in other areas. Telling them what to do next saves mental energy used in making decisions. Keeping the focus helps build momentum, which in turn motivates.
-People respond well to praise. A few positive words keep them going.
-People typically let themselves off the hook if left to their own devices. They don't do the range of exercises or go for as long as in a PT session. Personal training clients get it all done and make a habit of it.
* PAYMENT EQUALS COMMITMENT
Clients who have a personal trainer paid for, by a family member or spouse, are never as committed. They’re literally not invested.
This can change, as it's possible to not like exercise to start but grow to love it as results come. How much someone pays though usually reflects how much they value it. You're likely to be on time for a session you've paid for and to strive to get the most out of it.
Business's that stage events to attract client’s notice more people turn up when there's a fee. There's a perception if it costs something then it must be of value. People also don't want to waste money by not turning up. Personal training works in much the same way.
*PREVENTS THE PROBLEM OF INITIAL OVER ENTHUSIASM
This is the opposite of how many imagine Personal Training to work.
Training at the right intensity matters and it takes some knowledge to nail it.
There's often a burst of enthusiasm that comes with signing up to an event like a fun run or a weight loss challenge. Believe it or not this can hinder forming an exercise habit. It often means going too hard too soon, causing injury, which stops progress and can cost time and money. Personal training manages intensity and keeps clients from over doing it.
*GETS YOU DOING IT ALL.
I noticed some middle-aged men squeezing a workout into their lunch break at the local park last week. It was productive, but a workout under my direction would have looked very different. There were way too many stair runs, push ups and jerking sit ups for my liking.
At the same effort level, they could use a broader range of exercises to spread the work through the body. This’d result in better overall development and less chance of injury.
Personal Training includes not only an array of exercises, but several aspects of fitness. Strength, cardio, core stability and stretching are often done in 1 session. The effect is steady intensity and limited strain on a one joint or muscle. Plus of course it's time effective. *FEATURES EXERCISES THAT COMPLIMENT ONE ANOTHER AND COMBINE FOR AN EFFECTIVE WORKOUT There are no magic exercises but there are many sound, effective ones.
I’m always looking to find a blend of movements that cover the whole body. The idea being to create an intensity which can be kept up throughout the session. Minus the need for great drive.
Again, this is also about overloading one joint or muscle to prevent injury.
It’s a skill that comes with experience and a benefit of sessions with an experienced Personal Trainer.
Are you interested in the benefits of Personal Training? Want to get your fitness routine kick started? Get in touch and we'll see how I can help.
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