There are thousands of websites and magazines focused on helping people lose weight and get fit. Many websites will take your personal information and goals and provide you with a ‘customized’ workout plan to help you reach those goals. Many of those sites are free or have a very low enrolment fee. So tell me, why would you pay hard earned money for a personal trainer to do what you could do on your own?
Personalized program
I know I just said you can find this on the internet for free, so why would you pay someone for this? A personal trainer will build your plan based on your current lifestyle, health concerns, injuries and chronic pain. A trainer will provide you with a plan that will prevent further injury and work with you to strengthen muscles to help reduce chronic pain.
Efficiency
The job of a personal trainer is to keep you focused on your goals. No wasted, inefficient workouts. A personal trainer will devise a plan to will help you get maximum results in minimum time.
Improve technical skills
Every profession has its specialists. Everyone knows how to run. One foot in front of the other: like walking but a bit faster, right? A trainer who specializes in running will incorporate skills training into your program to improve not only your strength and endurance, but your agility, your body’s ability to tolerate the impact and mental focus as well. Any sport you can think of: golf, hockey, soccer, baseball, etc. will have a specialist that will help you be the best you can be at your sport.
Safety
Nothing frustrates me more than watching someone go through an entire workout at the gym using improper form. Bad form puts you at risk of injury and completely wastes your time.
A trainer watches and ensures proper form throughout your entire workout and will provide feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. We often ignore some of the subtle signals our body provides: we either push through pain or give up too soon. A trainer knows when to push and when you need to take it easy.
Plateaus
It doesn’t matter how great the plan you are on is, your results will plateau. It happens. A trainer is skilled at recognizing the signs of a plateau and will know when to jump start the plan to keep you on track to meeting your goals.
Accountability
Perhaps the single, most important benefit of hiring a personal trainer is keeping you accountable to your goals. When embarking on a new fitness regime everyone has the best intentions to make it work. A week or two into the program the muscles are sore, results have yet to show and life is busy and getting in the way. This is where most people fail; a trainer knows this and will provide the structure and direction you need to keep you motivated.
Are you still thinking the internet is a great place to find a workout plan? Give it a try. Maybe it will work. If it doesn’t, don’t let yourself get discouraged; there is a professional out there who can help you get back on track and set you up with the tools you need to be successful.
