Why do YOU Need a Personal Trainer?

You don’t.

Don’t let me talk myself out of a job here. I’m just saying that there’s enough information out there to complete your goals on your own. If you do some research and gain a little experience then you can achieve your goals without the help of anyone. Personal Trainer or no Personal Trainer, it’s going to be you putting in the work. It’s going to be you controlling your diet and it’s going to be you sweating it out.

I’ve only ever had one personal training session. When I first started using the gym I was given two free PT sessions. I had 40 mins with a PT who stood there, disinterested while I struggled with a very basic workout. It wasn’t planned, it wasn’t geared towards my goals. To their credit they did explain why we were doing what, dropping some knowledge bombs on me which I absorbed like a sponge. But in the end I was so put off that I didn’t redeem my other session.

One thing I did get from that session was Motivation. It’s one of the most important things a PT can offer. I put my all into that session because someone else was telling me what to do. You have an appointment at a certain time, you are going there, and you are going to train. A good PT will push you to your limits, without risking your health. If you’ve had a hard day at work and head to the gym, you may be tempted to put less effort in or cut your session short. A PT will make sure that you are working hard every session. That you stay motivated and geared towards your goals. Motivation doesn’t just cover the physical aspect. I spend most days reading up on training methods and experimenting with new methods. Maybe I was lucky. When I started training, I was at University, I had the time to put in my research and attend lots of fitness classes. That isn’t a luxury that everyone has.

The next point I’ll cover is Preparation. Diet is easy, you plan your meals based around your BMR (Base Metabolic Rate) with your activity level factored in. You then calculate your required calorie intake then plan a serious of meals that gives you an appropriate deficit for the results you are after (for weight loss). That system is a little complicated for me, so I break down the calories into macros (Macronutrients). Then you plan your workouts, this will stop you slacking off. Depending on your goals this differs massively from person to person. A few pointers would be to hit everywhere so as to avoid muscle imbalances, check posture, and pick appropriate weights, appropriate exercises and plan around your life. With fitness programmes and diet plans you may reach a plateau. To keep the momentum I’d look at mixing it up every 4-6 weeks (at least). A good PT will help you with this as there’s a lot of conflicting information on the internet, especially about diet. I have tried to explain, in detail, about diet and training in some of my other blog posts, so take a look!

Efficiency, for me, is the primary purpose of a PT.  It’s not about getting you to your target. You can do that alone if you have the motivation. It’s about getting to your target quickly. A well-structured diet plan and fitness programme will help you achieve your goals without the complications. As I will keep reiterating in this blog. I did this largely myself. I trained in some good classes with some good coaches and some friends who shared my passion for training. I learnt what I could from every one of them. There’s lots of styles and they all work (in their own way). I always look for the quickest way. People don’t want to forever chase their goals. They want to achieve them and move onto the next one. When I first started out I trained with a gym partner who was very keen on biology, so he often talked about the science behind certain things. It was very interesting but I lacked the motivation to do my own research. He progressed much faster than me, due to better diet and more logical training. I therefore took a L2 Gym Instructor course. To supplement my own training. I lifted weights (on and off) for 7 years without seeing much difference. I enjoyed it but I’d phase in and out as my lack of progress made my motivation flag. At university I studied History. Does this help with my current occupation? You’re damn right it does. The most important skill you learn is separating fact from fiction. I’m very quick at researching and I am very good at it. Even so, I’ve hit so many speed bumps on my own journey. So much so, that I count experience as one of my main assets now.

The last point I’ll go over is Separating Fact from Fiction. Globally, fitness is an $80 billion industry. That’s just from health clubs, now you have access to much more, internet coaches, brands, supplements, classes, juices, smoothies, diet prep, cookbooks, the list goes on. Everyone is trying to sell you something. Even this blog. I’m hoping you look at it and think, ‘actually, that sounds like a lot of work, this guy knows what he’s talking about…’.  At the same time, I’m only in this industry because of the positive impact it had on my own life. If you can do it on your own, then get to it and show everyone what you can do. If you want to run questions by me, drop me a message, I’d be happy to help. 

When I joined a certain chain of discount gyms (which I won’t name) we were given a ‘free business seminar worth £400!!!’. I turned up, excited to learn how I was going to grow my business. But they lost me within the first hour. The guy leading the session said,
“raise your hand if you’re in this industry to help people”. We all raised our hands. He then said, “raise your hand if you’re in this industry for the money”. Nobody moved.
“Wrong” he told us.
“It’s about making money”. Now this didn’t sit right with me. I left the course at the lunchtime interval (I think I want £200 back). This is the problem with the fitness industry. There is so much money in it that everyone is trying to make their piece. For many, it's not about passion, it's about sales. There is so much access to information that it leads to disinformation. Your PT, if they’re good, will sift through all the rubbish to find what will really produce results.

Which brings us back full circle. A PT will give you the motivation. A good PT will lend you their motivation. They will make your journey as quick and efficient as possible. They will offer you the advice you need. They will do their best to make your journey as quick and painless as possible. And (dare I say it) they might even make it fun. I’ve met a lot of good PTs along the way, all great in their own ways. I now consider myself among them. A good PT.

But you don’t need a PT.

Or do you?