How to Get the Most from Your Personal Trainer

Far too many people assume that because they are paying the big bucks for their personal trainer's time and attention that this alleviates them from any responsibility regarding their personal success or failure. And so the negative downward spiral continues. Only this time it will put a direct hit on your wallet as well as your health and self-esteem. Whether you are new to personal training or you are just not getting the results you thought you would, it would help if you answer these questions honestly.

Do you realize that it is a team effort? Just because you are paying your trainer that does not mean that you don't have to put your time and dedication into reaching your goals. If you are under the impression that because you are paying money, you don't have to learn and work for the duration of the rest of your life then perhaps you should keep your wallet closed. Save your money because giving it to a personal trainer won't magically make you fitter or healthier.

Are you fully prepared to follow your personal trainer's recommendations? Many clients are not honest about what they are doing when they are not in the presence of their trainer. They fudge their eating habits and their activity level for the other hours of the week. It serves no useful purpose to fabricate, exaggerate or omit facts regarding what you are eating, when you are eating it, how much of it you are eating any more than it helps you to fib about how often you get to the gym or your lifestyle outside of the gym. Your trainer can't help you properly if you don't tell them the truth. Regardless of what you see on TV a good personal trainer will not "beat you up" verbally or emotionally because you fell off the wagon or made a mistake. They will try to help motivate you to develop proper habits, new skills and coping mechanisms in order to get you to your goals safely, effectively, with your dignity and self-esteem intact. A personal trainer's job is not to tear you down. It is to build you up better and stronger than you were before.

Are you verbalizing how you feel to your trainer adequately? If you feel faint, are in pain or an activity is too much for you, you should tell your trainer without hesitation. A competent and effective personal trainer will not be of the mindset that in order to give you a workout, they should grind their client into the ground. If you enjoy some activities more than others you should also express that to your trainer. A good trainer should watch you closely to see signs of over-exertion, disinterest, pain, etc. However, a personal trainer is not a mind reader nor should they be expected to function as such.

As long as the client and personal trainer are a good fit and there is adequate communication between the two parties they should be able to get the client to his/her particular goals safely and effectively. Your team's success is inevitable regardless of what your goals are as long as there is honesty, communication and dedication coming from both parties 100%/100%. 50-50 just won't cut it.