Do You Need A Certified Personal Trainer?
© Doug Champigny, http://flirtingwithfitness.com
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Right now, an estimated 3 million Americans are paying for the services of certified personal trainers – sounds like a lot, but remember that’s only about 1% of the American public. So what do they know about personal trainers that you don’t?
Certified Personal Trainers Keep You Accountable
How many times have you started working out again, only to miss first one, then two workouts and soon thereafter stop training altogether again? Whether it’s because your training partner doesn’t show up, you just don’t feel motivated or you’re not seeing your desired results from your weightlifting the reason doesn’t matter – what matters is you quit again.
By using a certified personal trainer you’ll be much more likely to show up for every weightlifting session – especially if you’ll be billed for their time whether you show up or not. But it’s not really the money – when you know someone is going to be there waiting for you every session you’ll feel obligated to show up and give your best, even when you don’t feel like it. Soon your results will both impress you and motivate you that much more – you’ll head to the gym because you REALLY want to work out!
Certified Personal Trainers Know What Works
Every week all over the world you’ll see people who have just joined the gym walking around in a daze, unsure of what to do, what bodypart to train next or how to train the muscles they want to build. Hiring a certified personal trainer right from the outset lets you skip those first few weeks of confusion and start right in with the right exercises in the right order.
Another big issue has been tagged ‘bro-science’. There are a lot of ‘old wives’ tales’ floating around every gym, with fitness advice that’s either outdated or was never correct in the first place. Yet this information has been passed from person to person for so long it’s spouted as ‘science’ by your gym bros – hence the name. But your personal trainer has been trained in what DOES work – and renews their certification every couple of years.
As a result, even weightlifters who’ve been training for a few years can benefit from sessions with a good trainer – after all, have you ever heard of a competitive professional bodybuilder who didn’t have a personal trainer? So if a certified personal trainer can help pro bodybuilders at that level, imagine what they can do for you!
Certified Personal Trainers Design A Weightlifting Program That Works For YOU
Three factors are all-important in designing your weightlifting routine: your genetics, your goals and your current level of fitness. This is why it’s not as simple as finding a weightlifter whose size & shape you like and then copying what they do in the gym, or blindly following a workout routine you found in a bodybuilding magazine.
Similarly, you might want to focus your exercise routine on getting stronger, building muscle, losing weight, gaining energy or just achieve a higher fitness level – or any combination of those. Yet each requires a different mix of exercises, weights and reps to accomplish. How can you just follow that sexy woman’s routine if you don’t know whether her intent is to burn fat, maintain a healthy weight, build strength, carve out a perfect beach body or just build the stamina and energy levels she needs to keep up with her 3 kids?
Your personal trainer will create a program that’s right for YOU, designed to help you meet your goals through steady progress from where you are now to where you want to be – and often well beyond where you thought you could go. And make sure you get there in the shortest time without doing anything to injure yourself or delay your progress. You’re in the gym to improve your physical fitness, and your certified personal trainer is the best weapon in your fitness arsenal – get hooked up with yours today!
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Getting a PT should be a serious undertaking. Sort of like shopping for a car. You really have to like the trainer as a person. Sticking with a plan that involves seeing someone you aren’t particularly fond of won’t last long!
You’re right on there, Matt – matching your personality to that of your choice of trainers is of paramount importance! Too many people make their choice based on the muscularity of the trainer, again ignoring genetic advantages, possible drug use, etc. Thanks for pointing that out!
It is really point to point. Personal trainers are fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. It is obvious to say that the personal trainer must be certified and well trained.
Hi, Aaron – thanks for stopping by and commenting! And while I agree that a personal trainer must be well trained and very knowledgeable, them being a certified personal trainer isn’t necessary in some cases. For example, while I’m now a CPT, for 20 years I was training people on and off without having ever gone for my certification. If you know the trainer, trust them and have spoken to their clients and found they’re getting the results they want then go for it – but if you’re not already familiar wih the trainers in your area or aren’t able to contact their existing clients, then a certified personal trainer is the minimum requirement. Thanks again – hope to see you here again soon!