Personal trainers, sometimes revered and respected for their wealth of fitness knowledge and motivational skills, are often seen as a needed investment for those on the path to weight loss and health. The plain truth is that most people out there, assuming they can get off the couch a few times a week and cut out a few guilty pleasure foods, have enough knowledge and time to make significant changes in physique and health. Most people know that there is a right way to lift weights, and there are more effective methods of running than others, but what they don’t realize is that for beginners and the occasional trainee, almost anything will contribute to weight loss and strength gain.
That is not to write off the profession in one paragraph, but it is important to acknowledge that simply being more active than you currently are, and replacing high calorie, low nutrition foods with healthy counterparts is enough to make great fitness improvements. So make no excuses. 3 workouts lasting 30 minutes a week is sufficient to maintain great health and shape.
That said, there are a few categories of people that benefit a great deal from having a personal trainer.
Busy People Benefit from Trainers
When work occupies most of your time and the last thing you want to think about after a long day is hitting the gym, hiring a trainer may be a great idea. The main reason, aside from getting targeted workouts for your strength and ability, is the fact that your time is booked and accounted for. Many personal training clients confess regularly that if they did not have to meet their that morning or day, they would not have come. Missing one workout easily turns into missing two, turns into missing weeks, turns into a lifestyle of over consumption and poor health very easily.
People that Need Fast Results Benefit from Personal Trainers
Many of the people are motivated to get fit fast for a special event like a wedding or photo shoot or reunion of some kind. As mentioned above, it is not hard to make fitness gains simply by increasing activity and decreasing unhealthy food intake. But it is difficult to make big changes quickly, especially if those changes necessitate a strong and healthy looking physique with low belly fat. This kind of training requires intensity that can be dangerous if workouts are not properly structured and designed with the trainee’s physical limits in mind, as well as their results within a timeline. A good personal trainer will cut your time and effort in half, or less, saving you time, money, and bring you to your goals quickly.
People who Lack Motivation or Knowledge Benefit from Personal Trainers
People who lack a community of fitness buffs or have let themselves slip past the point of comfort in terms of their physique benefit tremendously from having someone there to push them in a structured and productive way. And those who lack the knowledge of program design or are not educated on basic machine use and weigh lifting technique can learn all they need in a few months. The cost may be a barrier for many people, but when you consider the knowledge you’ll gain that will allow you to maintain your health and fitness independently for a lifetime, it makes a lot more sense. So get off the couch and hit the gym!
About the author: Tom Fazio is the owner and operator of Martial Arts Hong Kong. He can also found at Personal Training Hong Kong.