Eight Things Not to Say to Your Personal Trainer

1. "I want to wear a size 2 (or 0, etc.)" This goal doesn't really mean anything, for several reasons. First of all, it doesn't take into account what size you are beginning at, which makes setting a realistic time table for your goal difficult. Second, clothing size varies from brand to brand, especially for women's clothing. Vanity sizing contributes to this problem.

2. "I want to look like Beyonce. (or Madonna, etc.)" While admiring a celebrity's physique is fine, be realistic about getting your body to look like someone else's. Genetically we are all different. Some people tend to hold weight in the upper body while others are prone to put on weight on the lower body. Short of plastic surgery, some features just won't change.

3. "I don't want to do that." If you've talked, set a goal, and made a detailed workout plans, don't wait until you're doing a workout to decide a certain move is tough and you don't want to do it. Unless you have a physical problem doing an exercise, don't complain. Which leads to the next thing:

4. "This is too hard." If you can't do something, a competent trainer will see this and adjust your workout accordingly. If you are merely complaining, some trainers respond by making you do extra reps, sets, or weight. Or they may include that particular exercise in all of your workouts.

5. "I don't want to get too big." This one is mainly for women. Unless you have abnormally high testosterone, eat at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight, and lift heavy weights with low reps the majority of your workouts you don't need to worry. Cardio will not make you bulky either.

6. "I want to be skinny." Skinny is a subjective term, one which generally connotes an unhealthily low body weight. Losing fat and gaining muscle are okay general goals, but trainers don't want to hear you say you want to be "skinny" (Ever hear a guy say that they want to be "scrawny"? Probably not. This is the equivalent of a woman saying she wants to be skinny. Women tend to want to be thin regardless of whether or not it is a healthy weight.)

7. "So can I eat ...?" Chances are, if you suspect it is a food that will impede your fitness goals it probably is. If you are honestly looking for nutrition information, most trainers won't mind. If, however, you want to find out how many snacks and "cheat meals" you can get away with you are probably just going to annoy them. (I've witnessed this many times, as well as being guilty of it myself!)

8. "I drank too much last night, so I won't be able to make our appointment today." (or stayed up to late, etc.) If you make an appointment with a trainer you should honor it. They make their living by training clients, so if you blow off appointments for stupid reasons you are cheating them and wasting their time. Also, some trainers will charge you for the session regardless of whether or not you show up. So in that case you are cheating yourself.