Six Tips For a Better Personal Training Experience.
#1 Motivation
Figure out what motivates you during a workout. Are you the type of person that needs a cheerleader type trainer to shower you with constant praise and high fives? Do you need an intense personality to make sure every workout is maximum effort? Or maybe you want a trainer that allows you to be more empowered…Someone that will give you praise when deserved, ensure proper technique, and has a well structured and progressive program?
I don’t like hovering coaches or cheerleader types. I like serious but enjoyable trainer/coaches that are empowering. Someone who is a good teacher. Once i learn the basics of a movement or objective…back off and let me focus. Most importantly, I want to get better, so if the programming is smart and specific to my goals, I’m happy.
#2 Take some initiative
Once you’ve been with a trainer for a while, you should know their expectations. For example, if every workout starts with a warm up and fascia work…don’t show up and just stand there…GET STARTED! The training wheels gotta come off for you to reach your goals.
#3 Common Sense
If you’re heat sensitive, AND you live in Texas…you probably shouldn’t join that fitness boot camp in the middle of the park, with no trees within a 5mi radius, at 2pm, in August, during a drought.
#4 Do your Homework
You can’t expect to look like an athlete by working out 2-3 times per week. Let me break this down. Your workouts start and end with a warm up, so we’re talking about a 40min boot camp workout, a two 10-15min WODS if you Cross fit, or an hour if you do typical personal training. Athletes can workout 3hrs in a DAY, let alone a week. No I’m not saying you need to quit your job and workout all day. I’m saying you need to do some basic 10min core work every night, or get in 20mins on a bike between your personal training days, for example. Don’t rely on your trainer to implement a magic workout that’ll take 21 DAYS TO SHRED…lol!
#5 Mindset
“Ugh, I gotta run…I hate running.” “What? Put more weight on the bar?!” “I ate well this weekend, well minus the 20 beers I had Saturday night.” “But it’s hot outside.” “It’s too early to workout.” “I live alllll the way north, a 15 min drive is too far.”
At some point, your goal is to not only transform your body, but also your perspective in embracing the “suck”, especially when that road leads to what you want. Do what it takes and complain less.
#6 Know the Difference
Building muscle for the sake of aesthetics OR for the purpose of increasing metabolism to decrease body fat BOTH requires you to STRENGTH TRAIN. You need to know what’s a marketing ploy and what is real. Doing 100 burpees or a 5k worth of lunges IS aerobics NOT strength training. In short, strength training requires you to work against resistance to the point that you stimulate that muscle to actually get stronger…which is an easily measurable data point.
Doing sprints with insufficient rest periods is a great way to turn an anaerobic activity into an aerobic activity (cardio). For sprint training, you should get with an experienced coach or at least someone who doesn’t get their workouts from google.
What have been your learning experiences with a personal training or coach?
