With the new year approaching you are probably making a list of new goals. Among them is getting in shape. Should you hire a personal trainer? Is it worth it? Why do some people use one and others don’t?
In this article I’d like to address the top 3 benefits of hiring a trainer.
Accountability
In my opinion, this is one of the absolute best reasons to have a trainer. It comes down to your personality. I know for me, if I know I have to check in with someone, and I’m paying for it, I’ll be damned and I don’t make sure I check in, and get my money's worth. I also know if I don’t have someone holding me to my goals, it’s too tempting for me to fall off the wagon and not tell anyone. Then a year from now, I’ll be making excuses as to why I wasn’t able to achieve my goals.
Having a trainer provides that accountability. They are also your support system. A great trainer will check in on you, AND make sure to provide encouragement along the way. You can’t always rely on friends and family. In fact, especially when you are out to eat, or during the holidays, those people are probably more likely trying to convince you to “just let loose” and ease off all the hard work you’ve been putting in.
Tracking Your Progress
The other great thing about having a trainer is taking the guesswork out. Sure you may already know what you need to do. But not everyone wants to have to keep track of it all. A great trainer will take your measurements regularly, make sure you’re progressing on the weights, make sure your program is catered to your current goals, and more. Again, it comes down to your personality type. If you know you aren’t good at updating your workouts, and know how to break through plateaus, then hiring a trainer is highly recommended.
It also keeps things objective. I know for me, it’s one thing to track my progress. But let’s say I’m in a fat loss phase, and see my weight loss is slowing down or not going as fast as I’d like. It’s very easy for me to end up changing my workout plan and make it more aggressive because I feel “behind”. A trainer will know when to dial things up and when you need to stay on track and trust the process.
Making Modifications
One aspect of your training journey that can get very annoying and meticulous, is modifying on the fly. Life happens. Vacations come up, and we all eventually incur an injury. Do you know how to adjust your program to accommodate these obstacles? What if you find you can’t activate certain muscle groups or others are holding you back from reaching your goal? Hire a knowledgeable trainer who can modify your workout plan when you need it. We are all unique and have unique needs. You shouldn’t be doing box jumps if you just want to get stronger on your bench.
There is a lot of nuance when it comes to our fitness goals. A trainers job is to account for these and understand your behaviors so that they can provide a program you will ultimately adhere to.
