By: Duncan Roman

The Answer: It Depends! 

Working with a trainer is not for everyone.  Some people have the motivation, confidence, and are happy with the results they get from their own workouts.  That being said, if you place a value on your health and wellness and aren’t making the progress you hoped to, working with a trainer may be a good option for you.

For some people, working with a trainer can make a major, life-changing difference in their quality of life, physical abilities, and overall health.

So, what does working with a personal trainer do for you and when should you consider working with a trainer?

When to Consider Working with a Trainer

1. You’re not seeing the results you want

If you’ve been working out or training for what seems like forever and you’re not getting what you want out of it – you should consider finding a trainer (more on how they help later).

2. You’re struggling to stay committed to any sort of consistent attendance or you find yourself “program hopping”.

Variation is good, but aimlessly jumping from program to the next without a goal in mind is counterproductive.

3. You’ve never touched a weight in your life.

The internet can have tons of information and it can be tough to sort out what is good and what is not so good. And consider this: a lot of “online trainers” have never worked with a person face to face – A huge component of personal training is the “personal” aspect i.e., GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CLIENTS

4. You struggle to push yourself

not everyone is the “meathead” who takes every set to failure and is constantly pushing their limits. And you don’t need to be, but if find that you never push yourself – then you’re leaving a lot of progress on the table and getting a trainer that gets you to push yourself from time to time might be a good choice for you.

What Trainers Do For You

1. Commitment

You’re more likely to stay committed to your fitness goals if you are financially invested and have someone committed to you, working with you, and encouraging you along the way. We Bring that to the table – we help keep you on track, committed, and invested in your own personal growth.

2. Coherent planning and goal setting

Trainers are more equipped to help you pick out goals and put together a plan of action that will help you reach them in a realistic and sustainable way.

3. Consistency

This ties into commitment, but consistency is a huge factor and why a lot of people don’t see the results they want to.

We help you get a plan together and provides the roadmap to reach your goals.

This is going to make staying consistent a lot easier – and ultimately help you reach the goals you set.

4. Learning/Education

A quality trainer also helps you learn and understand what you’re doing and why. They are willing to answer your questions and (hopefully) explain things in a simple but effective way. Learning about health and exercise is just as important as participating in it.

5. Manage Training Intensity

As a trainer working with clients on a daily basis, one of the biggest issues I see regularly is people not pushing themselves as hard as they could or should when training.  Whether it’s because they underestimate their own strength/ability or their perceived exertion is out of tune, they just aren’t working hard enough. (In other words they think they’re training super hard, but in reality they’re not).

Having a personal trainer who knows you well can make a big difference in your outcomes by helping you manage the intensity of your training – when to push harder, and in some instances, when to back off the intensity a bit. This will ultimately lead to more progress in less time.

My final note:

Not every trainer is the one for you (just like not every client is the one for me).

Shop around for the trainer that fits your wants, needs, and matches with you on a personal level. You won’t like every trainer you work with, whether it’s because of the way they write workouts, their coaching mannerisms, personality, or the sound of their voice. If they’re not a match that’s okay, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t or can’t find a trainer that is right for you. 

Many trainers will offer a free trial workout, use this as an opportunity to see if they’re fit for you before you make a longer-term commitment.  When you do find that right fit, commit to the process and do the work!  And if you’re nervous or shy about starting something new (maybe you’ve never lifted a weight before), just do it!  You’ll thank yourself later.  

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” — Mark Twain