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What a Personal Trainer Can Do For You

By Wyatt Myers

Personal trainers are not just for celebrities or the very wealthy. For a little more than the cost of a gym membership, they can give you the results you want from your workouts.

For many people, a personal trainer conjures up images of famous movie stars, celebrity supermodels, or at the very least, the extremely wealthy.

In reality, however, a personal trainer can be a realistic fitness option for anybody. In a world where we're becoming more concerned about our health and fitness, it's encouraging to know that a personal trainer can be a realistic part of your workout program, for a lot less money than you might think.

The perfect complement to the gym
Instead of a personal trainer, most people see the gym or fitness club as the realistic option for getting the workout results they desire. The average gym can be a frustrating experience without guidance, however. "The first trip to the gym can be very intimidating, especially if you don't know what you're doing," says Tim O'Neill, a certified personal trainer for Fitness by Design in Des Moines, Iowa. "As a result, you tend to look at others exercising and do what they're doing. There's no program customization, and ultimately, there's a slim chance you'll see long-term results."

In reality, however, most personal trainers don't see themselves as a replacement for a gym membership. Instead, they are a nice complement to the workout you receive at a gym, providing guidance and support to steer you in the right direction as you begin your workout program. "I do have a few clients that I see up to five times a week," says Barb Mendoza, the owner of Fitness by Design. "But most of my clients come in once or twice a week. They come in to track their results and receive further guidance, but the majority of their workouts are on their own."

A personalized program
So if most workouts occur at the gym anyway, then why do you need a personal trainer? Well, one reason is the high degree of personalization you receive. As Mendoza points out, some of her clients are at a relatively low fitness level, and need to take "baby steps" with weights and cardiovascular exercise to get themselves back into shape. Others are already highly trained athletes who want to take that next step in training for a marathon or a sporting event. Either way, a personal trainer can personalize precisely what you need and set you on the right course in your workout.

A trainer and safety
The second important advantage that a personal trainer gives you is safety: "You'd be amazed by the number of people in the gym who are using improper, and even dangerous, techniques in their strength training regimens," says Mendoza. A personal trainer gives you step-by-step demonstrations of every exercise in your workout, and then they watch you carefully until you do it just right.

This is a lot more important than you might realize. "Over time," says Mendoza, "these improper techniques can lead to long-term injuries and pain, and they are completely avoidable."

The trainer as motivator
The greatest thing a personal trainer adds to your overall workout plan is difficult to measure, but impossible to ignore: motivation. "Within six weeks of the beginning of an exercise program, two-thirds of people quit exercising regularly due to the lack of results and the lack of individual attention they need for success," says O'Neill. "A personal trainer provides the accountability that most people need, but lack. With a standing appointment time with a trainer who is giving you great results, why would you want to quit?"

Of course, it's more than just the appointment time that keeps people coming back. Oftentimes, the trainer becomes a friend, offering positive encouragement and keeping you headed in the right direction. "It's amazing what positive talk and encouragement from another can do to help keep people motivated," says Mendoza. "But beyond that, a personal trainer can be a healthy role model, giving people something to aspire to."

Other trainer benefits
The one area where a gym may have an edge on the personal trainer is in the sheer number of activities available to try. But a personal trainer makes up for this lack of quantity with quality guidance in a handful of areas. While all personal trainers can offer guidance in strength training, many offer training in more specialized areas, such as swimming, tennis and yoga. Mendoza, for example, is a Pilates expert. And some personal trainers are also nutritionists, giving you the one-two punch of fitness and diet advice from one person.

Even if your personal trainer is not schooled to be a registered dietitian or nutritionist, he or she can still offer helpful dietary advice. "I'm not a registered dietitian, so I can't give my clients a day-by-day diet," says Mendoza. "But still I offer them diet tips and advice that I use myself to keep them headed in the right direction."

How to get started
Interested in the possibilities a personal trainer can offer? The first place to start, naturally, is to find one. "My number one recommendation for finding a personal trainer is word-of-mouth referral," says Mendoza. "Ask your friends and coworkers, and your chances are good of finding a reliable trainer that others enjoy working with. That's where most of my business comes from. And if that doesn't work, try the Yellow Pages."

If you decide to take this approach, Mendoza recommends having a phone conversation with the trainer first. Ask the trainer about his or her experience in the business, and be sure to find out if the trainer is ACE (American Council on Exercise) certified.

You'll also find personal trainers in many different locations. Many gyms and fitness centers have personal trainers on staff, so that may be a good place to look first if you already have a gym membership. Others have their own private gyms, and some work out of their client's homes, often bringing some fitness equipment with them.

What to expect
Once you're there, your first personal training session will probably consist mostly of a physical assessment of your overall fitness level. "This helps us craft a workout personally tailored to you," says Mendoza. After that, it's on to the exercises, but the first session will consist mostly of step-by-step training and guidance on the different machines, with the trainer making sure your technique is just right. Once all the kinks are worked out, you can expect a more strenuous workout on your next session with the trainer.

As far as how much you can expect to pay for a personal trainer's services, it really varies quite a bit. But the rough range is $50 to $80 for an hour-long session. It will add a small amount to your overall fitness costs, but the results you'll see will be incredible.

For additional information about personal trainers, visit the American Council on Exercise's website at ACEFitness.com. Also be sure to check out the search option for an ACE-certified trainer in your area at ACEFitness.org/profreg/default.aspx.