Why do I need a personal trainer?

A personal trainer is an educated professional who can help you achieve your fitness and health goals by removing all the current misconceptions that exist today in our society about exercising. A personal trainer will have your best interests in mind and guide you through a methodical and systematic progression towards your health and fitness goals.

Can't I just do all the exercises on my own?

Sure you can. However, studies show that most people quit their training programs after eight weeks - how long does your New Year resolution last in the gym? Personal trainers know the pitfalls and how to help you avoid them. Their motivation and direction will help keep you on track and help you achieve the results you want. You will be more dedicated to a training schedule when you know that there's someone monitoring and checking on your progress.

Will having a personal trainer make a difference?

Yes! A personal trainer will be there every step of the way. He or she will provide you with the motivation that you need to stay committed to your goals and the know-how on how to get there. It's nice to have someone who cares about you, motivates you, and is your "coach". It's great to have someone pat you on the back and to have someone look out for your fitness and health.

How to find and what to look for in a trainer:

Many people find a trainer by joining a gym and watching several trainers in action before making a choice. If you do this, notice if the trainer is instructing or just counting repetitions. What's are the trainer's professional manners and etiquette? Some people hire trainers on looks alone because they think "Maybe I can look like them." A trainer's impressive physique also doesn't ensure that a good teacher dwells within. Education, communication, and patience are more valuable assets. Professionally
minded trainers often display brochures that list certifications, specialties, education, training philosophies, etc. Although a certification doesn't guarantee that a trainer is knowledgeable or can communicate, it does show they have some level of knowledge and stay up-to-date. Still, lots of trainers remain uncertified. Avoid them.

Top 10 reasons to use a personal trainer:

1. A trainer will design a weight and cardiovascular program tailored to your unique fitness needs and with your goals in mind.
2. You will be motivated and ask to push pass your comfort zone to improve yourself.
3. Get the most out of your time in the gym with pre-designed workouts.
4. You will get articles on health, fitness and nutrition to help you better understand your training.
5. Learn proper technique for each exercise while keeping an eye on safety and injury prevention.
6. By learning about training techniques you will learn how to get past a fitness plateau.
7. You will receive professional guidance and expertise.
8. A trainer will expose you to various types of training to help your personal growth.
9. There will be a progression of routines to keep your workouts fresh and interesting, designed for you and your lifestyle.
10. You will always have someone concerned and interested about your health.

Questions to ask your trainer:

Do they perform an initial fitness evaluation and health screening?
What certifications do they hold, are they insured and have CPR and First Aid?
Can they also recommend other good trainers, in case you want information from a different perspective?
Do they have any additional specialties you might be interested in?
Can they offer simple nutritional guidance, such as meal or menu planning?

The WHOLE truth about my services :

Ok, here's something that most trainers won't tell you...The truth: I can not get you in shape! That's right. I can ONLY tell you and show you, based on my knowledge and experience and on your fitness evaluation results and goals what needs to be done (i.e.: give you a FULL training plan). You are still responsible for following it! Just having a Personal Trainer doesn't mean that you'll automatically get in shape. All the hard work, the running, the heavy lifting, the "watching" what you eat... it's still all up to you. I am here to motivate and to guide you, but I can't do it for you!

Why am I so empathic about this? Because for many years I was on "the other side". I was 50 lbs over weight (see some "before" photos!), and my friends and family (mostly my dear wife) try everything they could think off to help me be healthier and loose the weight. But you know what, nothing worked until I realized that I needed to make it happen! Friends, family and trainers can help and motivate. Still, it's up to us, individually to make the necessary changes. Personally, I found out that it was a lot easier when I found that desire to change coming from within myself more than from my friends and family.

How often do we need to train together :

This is a very common question for new clients and again, I'm going to give you an answer that most trainer won't give you: As often as you feel that you need help, guidance and you can afford it. I'm realistic. I know that a Personal Trainer is not a "must have" like paying rent/mortgage, health care, food, etc. It's a "nice to have" but not a "must have". So if once a month is all you can afford, then that's what you should do. Never let a trainer tell you that you have to workout X times a week with them!!! That said... some clients still feel the need to have a trainer work with them on a regular basis. Currently, about 90% of my clients see me once a week and the other 10% twice a week. Some clients of mine, trained with me once or twice a week for the first few months, until they felt more confident with the routines and exercises, then they'll switch to once a week or less. That's ok with me. You need to do what you feel most comfortable too.

Still, from a trainer's perspective, I like to work with clients (at least on the early stages of our training together) on a weekly basis or at the least once every other week. The reason for this is that early on our training and your commitment to it, too many things can go wrong (i.e.: you lose motivation, you start to develop bad form, etc.). If I only see you once a month, that's too much time for too many things to go wrong that by the time I see you again, we need to spend the entire session breaking down bad habits and correcting things rather than making forward progress. Still, you need to train as often as you need it to feel comfortable with the exercises and you can afford it!

Do I need to have a gym :

That will depend on your goals, training schedule and how often we train together, but most likely, yes! For example: if your goal is to train for your first marathon and we'll be training together once or twice a week, then we know that the rest of your workouts will be done outdoors (running of course). But if your goal is to put on 10+ pounds of muscle and we only train together once a week, then you'll need a gym where to train on a regular basis. There are many excellent gyms in the area (Gold's Gym is two doors down from the studio) and I can recommend one for you.

What happens if I change my goals :

Nothing! We look at where you are in terms of fitness and what your training routine (cardio and weights) looks like and we make the necessary changes to accommodate your new goals!