Start seeing results
Maybe you’ve been training for a little while and you’ve hit a bit of a plateau or maybe you’re completely new to the gym and not sure where to start. Either way, a PT will have the knowledge, experience and training to be able to steer you in the right direction. They can recommend changes to your programme and nutrition to maximise the results that you see and reduce the amount of time it takes to see them. They know the best exercises to target specific areas and achieve specific goals.
Their experience has not only come from their own training, that they have likely been doing for years, but also from their experience of training other people. All this time in the gym will have given them a 6th sense about what works for different people and the best & fastest way to achieve different goals. For example, I have a whole repertoire of different HIIT circuits with exercises that I know work well together and that I can set-up at a moment’s notice.
Help you get started
If you’re just getting started in the gym, then there’s a chance that it’s daunting. You’re not sure what exercises work what muscle groups. You may not know how to put together a balanced programme that targets all areas evenly. You might not know the correct form to use on each exercise or how to use all the different pieces of equipment.
A PT will be able to help you with all of this. They will guide you around the gym, providing a knowledgeable hand to boost your confidence. They can show you how to use all the different pieces of equipment and put together a well-balanced goal driven workout programme that will achieve your specific fitness goals.
Discover new exercises and ways of working out
If you’ve been following the same routine and exercises for a long time, then it’s time to switch it up. Not only to keep your workouts interesting and engaging, but also to keep your body guessing and adapting. Your body is changing to a stimulus (your workouts), however the human body is very good at being as efficient as possible. So over time, you adapt less to the workout you are doing. This is why it’s important to make changes. Some changes you can make include; different exercises, different exercise order, changing rep range, increasing the weight etc.
A PT will know 100s of exercises and variations to recommend to keep your workouts interesting and keep your body changing. They will also have the experience to know which exercises are best and when the right time is to change your routine.
Feeling challenged
If you feel like you need a challenge in the gym to stay motivated, then having a PT could be a way to get that extra boost of motivation. A good PT will be working with you to set some challenges and milestones. Maybe you want to squat a specific weight or gain a specific amount of size on your glutes or chest. A lot of my clients want to be able to perform bodyweight moves like press-ups and pull-ups. Once these goals have been set then there’s a clear path to success. Your PT will be able to recommend complimentary exercises and techniques to achieve these specific goals.
If you can’t think of any specific goals you want to achieve, then your PT will be able to make suggestions and get you excited about some new goals you might not have thought of.
Accountability
Once you’ve set your goals, you have a workout plan & you’ve got your nutrition plan, you now need to go and follow them week after week. For some people, this works great, but for a lot of people the motivation can drop and workouts get missed. This is where having a PT keeps you on track. They will check-in with you to see how you’re getting on with your solo workouts and push you to work harder during your PT workouts. They will also ask you about your nutrition and activity outside of the gym. Consistency = results!
Motivation
For some people, one of the hardest parts about working out is actually motivating yourself to do it. Having a PT session booked ensures that the first step is complete, you show up to the gym. Once there, your PT is going to encourage you to keep up the pace, work hard and get more out of each workout. Dare I say, they might even help make it a bit more fun!
Every PT session you have should be better than the workout you would have had on your own. Your PT will push you to increase your weights, increase your number of reps, reduce your rest time, improve your form ect. So that you walk out of the gym feeling like you’ve had a great workout.
Your PT will have ways of motivating you outside of the gym too! My clients all get access to the Active Goals fitness app to track progress (pics & measurements), follow extra workouts & track nutrition. I have a private Facebook group that all new clients are invited to, plus regular Instagram posts. I also check in with them periodically to see how they are getting on via the app’s chat feature.
Training for a specific event
There’s often a reason someone decides to make a change and improve their health and fitness. This could be a specific event such as having a child, getting married or going on holiday. Maybe you have a fitness test you need to pass or your training for a race or competition.
These reasons are all great because they instantly provide a purpose and a target date. Great components of setting goals. Which means you and your PT can get straight to work with a workout routine and nutrition targets that fit in with this. Working to a specific date makes tracking and gauging progress a lot more specific.
Get nutrition & lifestyle advice
Although they play a huge part, your results are going to be based on more than just the few hours you spend in the gym each week. Making certain lifestyle and nutrition changes are also going to have a big impact. Increasing the amount of energy that you burn outside of the gym with daily activity such as walking more is going to create a bigger calorie deficit. Sleeping well will help your body recover and replenish efficiently. Getting the right amount of each macro nutrition group and plenty of vitamins and minerals will give your body the building blocks it needs.
Your PT will be able to offer you some advice on improving in all of these areas. If for some reason you have requirements or any issues outside of their scope, then they will have the right contacts to direct you to a specialist in that field.
Take a look at my article on calculating macros or ways to increase your steps.
Better technique
Improving your technique is not only going to get you better results, but it will also reduce your risk of injury. A PT will know the correct way to perform each exercise and instruct you accordingly. They will also have experiences of what instructions work best. For example, asking someone to depress and retract their shoulder blades rarely has the desired effect. Whereas asking someone to sit up tall almost always gets them in the perfect position.
It is inevitable that as you get stronger and lift heavier your form will break down a little. Same for when you fatigue towards the end of your workouts. You won’t notice it at the time. However, your PT will be able to spot it immediately and prompt you to correct it.
Confidence
Having a PT by your side in the gym is going to make you feel more confident that you are performing all the exercises correctly. You’ll feel more confident about using different equipment and machines. You’ll feel happier about going into all areas of the gym, some of which may have felt a little daunting before.
You’ll also hopefully start to feel more confident about performing the solo workouts that your PT has set you. Working out multiple times a week is definitely going to improve your results significantly.
Added benefit – better results is going to boost your confidence out of the gym too!
We regularly update our Instagram account with motivational & informative content – come check us out: @activegoalsfitness
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