How Personal Training Can Make a Real Difference To You: Part 1
Updated: Mar 24
Personal training is a well-known luxury to most people interested in the #gym and #exercise. Most people have seen the endless marketing emails and streams of transformation pictures as PTs squabble over prospective clients like a flock of rabid seagulls.
By this stage, everyone should know the benefits, right?
#Weight/#fatloss, get fit for summer, look sexy in a bikini, build muscle, be #motivated, get that toned look the magazines have told you about, ‘be a #stronger and #fitter version of yourself’ blah blah blah…
You’ve all probably heard this a thousand times. If you aren’t already very goal-orientated towards one or more of the above - then #personaltraining probably isn’t something you will consider. But at #BeeFit we happen to feel like personal training can be beneficial to everyone, for one reason or another. Here’s our thoughts behind such a bold statement.
Before that, a side note - every personal trainer will have their own views on how their service should operate. We would like to inform you that these are our own philosophies - and if another personal trainer does not share the same beliefs us, that does not make us right and them wrong (or vice-versa). It’s up to you as the consumer to decide upon which service provided is most suitable to you.
Time saving
“A personal trainer can really help to streamline the experience for you. They have already spent copious hours reading, learning, and researching, as well as trialling and testing methods on themselves and their clients.”
The first benefit of personal training people often overlook is the amount of time it saves in the long run. When you first start training, you will experience progress in pretty much whatever you choose to do, so long as you are doing something. Even if you are performing exercises with questionable form, lifting half the range of motion and using plenty of momentum - you will still #buildmuscle and #getstronger. But, this is only temporary. Eventually you will cease to get much benefit from poorer technique, or worse, get injured!
So - as a beginner, where do you start? What exercises should you do? How many reps? How do I do that sit-down stand-uppy thingy?
Everyone is a beginner at some point - you have to learn from scratch. Most start by watching youtube videos or reading books. All of this takes time, and depending on the quality of the content - some of it may end up being a waste of time! Let's be honest here - most of us really cannot afford to waste any more time.
It takes years and years of training experience to refine your exercise repertoire to be able to select the #bestexercises for you and your goals, as well as the best ways to perform these exercises, the best orders to do them in, how many reps, how many sets, how much weight each time etc etc. You can spend enormous amounts of time making very little progress. Spinning your wheels. What if there was a better system for figuring things out?
A personal trainer can really help to streamline the experience for you. They have already spent copious hours reading, learning, and researching, as well as trialling and testing methods on themselves and their clients.
They are professionals at adapting exercise to suit you, #physically, #genetically, and #mentally - the key is in the 'personal' part. They track everything meticulously, so you always have a point of reference to go to. A lot less is left to chance, you spent less time 'just figuring it out'.
Imagine doing the family shopping, except somebody has already planned everything you need to buy (including how picky the kids are), how much you need, how much it will cost you, walks you round the shop keeping you company, then stands by you and guides you through a recipe they have found online to cook the evening meal. Saves you hours of thinking time, and takes #decisionfatigue out of the equation. Sounds handy, right?
We are huge advocates of doing things yourselves - but everyone has to learn from somebody else at some point. Time is extremely valuable, like money. So ask yourself - rather than ‘can I afford PT sessions to learn?’ it should be, ‘Can I afford to waste my time when I can learn quickly and get back to other things? (that can potentially make me more money…’)
Extra Pair of Eyes
How many times do you find yourself saying ‘I wish I had eyes in the back of my head?’. No, this is not to see who is checking out your #gluteusmaximus whilst you are deep in a squat. It’s because it’s very easy to miss something you really should be looking out for when you are concentrating on other things.
Some individuals have previous injury history which makes their #exercisetechnique a more intricate task. Others have current #injuries/pains which need to be accommodated for.
Going back to point 1, you can spend hours learning how to do an exercise correctly from a youtube video, then go to the gym and realise you have no way of knowing whether you are doing it correctly at all. Gym mirrors do not reveal the whole picture, only what they reflect back to you. All you can do is feel. And let's be fair, any new exercise feels really uncomfortable regardless of whether it is done correctly or not. Is this time well spent?
You have to remember to do 7263 things at once during that exercise, and then you have to choose which of those 7263 things are contributing towards you not feeling it in the right area.
The solution - have somebody that understands exercise #physiology assist you. They can provide cues to change the small details which make a huge difference. They can assess your technical model and adjust where appropriate. Educate you on why they have adjusted it, and then let you know what is more suitable to you for your independent training. It may take you 6 weeks, 13 youtube videos and a painting-by-body-part book to figure it out - or 10 minutes of a #PT session... oh look, another time benefit.
Accountability
“ It’s saying - i’m doing this, it’s going to be hard but it’s going to feel very rewarding throughout - because it’s good for me mentally and physically. This is very empowering.”
This is an obvious one. You are #accountable to your trainer. You pay, you book, you have to show up because otherwise you look like a wimp. You are scared, but your money and reputation is on the line. Not only that, but this #trainer likely has bills to pay - and this is his job. So you have to show up - whether you feel like it tonight or not.
It goes beyond that though. You may have to put on your tinfoil hats a moment whilst we delve into some #mindfulness - but personal training actually holds you accountable to yourself, to take care of yourself (for a change!) . It says ‘i’m taking action’. I’m committed to giving this a try, investing money on my health, my #education, my personal #wellbeing. I’m committing physically, mentally and dedicating my time to this. I may not want to go some nights, but i’m making a decision to be disciplined to my commitments and show up.
This has a knock-off effect to your self-confidence and self-worth. It’s not necessarily the ‘looking slimmer’ or ‘filling out your t-shirt’ that gives you more #confidence and self-worth. It’s saying - i’m doing this, it’s going to be hard but it’s going to feel very rewarding throughout - because it’s good for me mentally and physically. Seeing it through against the odds. This is very #empowering. Your PT is just a guide - you are taking control. You do the exercise and the hard work for your own rewards.
You are accountable to yourself. It’s your time, and your money. You have the responsibility of giving back to yourself. And there aren’t many better investments than your own #health.
If you enjoyed reading this article, stay tuned for part 2 - coming soon!