Sometimes people are surprised to find out that I have a personal trainer…a fitness coach, if you will. “But, aren’t you a personal trainer?’ they say. “Why do you need a trainer?”

Everyone from the very beginner to the highly experienced should seek out a trainer. Why? Because you always need to continue learning. The only way you can better yourself is to learn from those more successful and/or more experienced than you.

Let’s break it down into experience levels: Beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

Beginner

Why would the beginner hire a personal trainer? This one’s pretty easy. If you are a beginner, you most likely have limited knowledge on health and fitness. What you know is what you see, hear, or read from infomercials, Dr. Oz, Shape magazine, etc…and that’s fine, but often times the explanation of why you should or shouldn’t do something is lacking…or, it’s not 100% factual or accurate. (For example; many of the infomercials claim you’ll have a body “like this” in 90 days…but don’t tell you that the people who are hired to do the infomercial are professionals who workout on a regular basis!)

Plus, as a beginner it can be intimidating to walk into a gym (or small group training class) and not have the first clue what to do. So, you walk on the treadmill (I mean who doesn’t know how to walk, right?) Hit up the ab crunch machine, do a couple bicep curls with a pair of 5lb dumb bells, and call it a day…never seeing results and wanting to give up after a few weeks. Hiring a personal trainer as a beginner will not only help educate you on the proper form and technique, they will be able to help build you a good program to follow so that you will actually see results which will then give you the confidence to be in the gym on your own, because now you know the proper way to perform those exercises. Plus, let’s not forget they are also there to push and motivate you to go beyond your comfort zone.

Intermediate

For many of the same reasons why a beginner would hire a trainer also apply to the intermediate “gym goer.” Usually, it’s not a confidence issue or a motivation issue because those at the intermediate level have no problem getting to the gym multiple times per week, taking different fitness classes, or staying on the treadmill for more than just a walk. The intermediate may want to compete in their first 5k, or learn how to incorporate kettlebells into their workouts, or just want a good butt kicking because they had a bad day at work and need someone to push them a little harder in their workout. Intermediates may work with a trainer on the regular…or just once in a while when they need a new and fresh perspective on training. If you’ve never run a 5k before, you’re probably going to want to talk with someone who has been there. Trainers don’t always have to be hands on and in your face. Thanks to the great technology available to us today many coaches and trainers have clients and athletes in others states (sometimes even other countries!) that they mentor over email, text, phone, Skype, social media, etc.

Advanced 

Many advanced fitness lovers are disciplined and get their workouts in with great intensity and follow their healthy meal plans day in and day out. Often the advanced are athletes competing in SOMETHING….maybe not professionally, but regularly. The mud runs and cross fit style competitions are becoming very popular so more and more people are upping their level of fitness to compete with other “hardcore” athletes. So, if advanced fitness lovers are so disciplined and train hard, why do they need a trainer? Simple…to have a non-skewed view of themselves. Being a competitive athlete myself, I am my biggest critic and see myself very differently than how everyone else sees me. Being “hardcore” about your training is good, but sometimes the need and want to be the best doesn’t give yourself a true picture of what’s going on. As you improve you will automatically raise your standards bar. A trainer will not only help you get to the top…they will also be there to help you remember your successes, help you through your failures, and keep you focused on the goal. The best athletes in the world don’t use one…but MANY trainers through out their career. Why? To constantly learn how to better themselves. Olympic athletes have many coaches, just as professional athletes have many coaches.

So, if you are feelings like:

1) You have absolutely no idea what to do in the gym and don’t know what a Lat Pull down is, let alone what muscle it works

2) You always wanted to run a marathon or add yoga to your fitness line up

3) You are an ex-high school or college athlete and would like to compete at a high level again…

You need to hire a trainer! (I know a good one…wink, wink!)