When Should You Get a Personal Trainer? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

When Should You Get a Personal Trainer?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • A host of great reasons exist for working out with a personal trainer.
  • Consider working out with a personal trainer when you want all your goals, new and old, to be focused and on track for results.
  • Personal trainers can work with all sorts of different clients and help them achieve individual results both timely and safely.

Anyone who spent even a tiny bit of time in a gym has heard of personal training. You might know personal trainers assist with one-on-one workouts designed to help you reach desired goals.

Along with many others, you probably are on the bubble about actually taking a trainer upon his/her offer.

Should you really hire a personal trainer? Are there specific situations in which hiring a personal trainer makes the most sense?

If you are dealing with any of the following exercise session concerns, then hiring a personal trainer may be a perfect plan.

If you are also looking for an exercise routine, look no further. Go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, and more.

When You Hit a Plateau

The term “newbie gains” is one bandied about a lot in the fitness world. Anyone who never previously worked out and then made the decision to go on a diet and start an exercise program experiences some weight loss and a few muscle gains.

The body reacts to the new activity even when the workouts aren’t perfect. In time, however, results seem to dwindle. You hit a particular look and weight and stay there.

A personal trainer can do a lot to help you break through plateaus. Plateaus can be broken by changing exercise programs, upping intensity levels, or simply correct form and performance.

Overcoming a plateau often requires help. Personal trainers can lend that necessary assist. When you aren’t sure what to do, they can provide the roadmap.

Enthusiasm Is Lacking

“I guess I have to go to the gym again” hardly reflects the attitude of someone feeling motivated. Boredom does set in with many people who previously loved to spend time at a fitness studio.

Working out becomes a bit like a dull job done to pay the bills. The solo nature of working out alone doesn’t do much for booting enthusiasm. Do you want your old enthusiasm back? It may be time to turn to a personal trainer.

A personal trainer not only comes up with great workout programs, the trainer guides you through them in a motivating manner. Enthusiasm rubs off.

Once you feel enthusiasm for working out again, the sessions become both mentally and physically beneficial. You likely won’t miss days at the gym because you’ll feel upbeat about heading to the weight room.

Goals Are Very Specific

Targeting specific goals can be difficult to meet when no one is helping you achieve them. Expert knowledge may need to be drawn on in order to arrive at a desirable outcome.

For example, if someone on television has inspired you to perform a 300 lb bench press, achieving such a difficult goal probably would require the guidance and coaching of a professional.

Not every goal is so lofty. Maybe you simply want to bring out a lagging body part. Your upper body might be coming along nicely except for the triceps.

These muscles simply are not developing to the desired look. A trainer can likely figure out why things are coming along as desired.

Maybe you are lifting too much weight too often and not giving the body an appropriate level of rest. Trainers understand how the body works and, most importantly, what might work best for a particular client.

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Avoiding Injuries Is a Priority

Are you waking up a little too sore after a workout? Sometimes, you may be hurting yourself in the gym. Not lifting with correct form, training for too long, or pushing yourself way too hard can lead to strains or worse.

A competent personal trainer won’t put clients through harmful or risky workouts.

Trainers understand the levels of strength and cardio a client possesses. Trainers also recognize a client’s limitations. To be sure about these things, trainers perform fitness assessments when taking on a new client.

Personal trainers usually ask clients to fill out a health questionnaire to be even better informed about the client’s physical condition. In short, trainers put forth extra effort to ensure the workouts won’t cause unnecessary strain or injury.

Physical Limitations Make Working Out Difficult

Suffering a previous injury or dealing with a medical condition creates complexities when working out. Someone with, say, arthritis or joint pain could find lifting heavy weights to be difficult.

A personal trainer with the necessary experience and knowledge to train people with injuries or particular health issues may come up with a workout program capable of making the workouts productive and enjoyable.

Not every trainer may be able to handle clients with unique needs, but there surely are trainers who can.

Did you know there are personal trainers who are also healthcare practitioners? Seeking out these talented trainers might be worthwhile.

Fast Results Are Desired

The best path to achieving desired fitness results entails making lifestyle changes and committing to them for the long haul.

Making thrice-weekly workouts a regular part of your life cannot help but lead to changes in time. That said, getting maximum results sooner than later remains preferable.

A personal trainer can speed up the amount of time it takes to see gains.

You may be working out regularly, but the effort could be lacking. You just might not know enough about exercise and weight training to move results as efficiently as a trainer could.

Working with a trainer should lead to quicker – and more impressive – results.

Running out of Ideas for New Goals

After working out for some time, figuring out new goals and accompanying new motivations becomes a little tough. That’s where your trainer steps in.

You are leaner, stronger, and have more endurance. Wouldn’t it be nice to become faster?

Not many people think about plyometric or reflex training, but developing quicker movements while maintaining strength in motion can be a noble goal.

All those jumping and resistance band exercises deliver a lot of fun, too. Trainers see things from different perspectives allowing them to help you devise new goals as your training progresses.

Plans Exist for Becoming a Personal Trainer

Are you a fitness lover who would also enjoy a career in the personal training world? Unless you have worked with a personal trainer, certain aspects of the job won’t be completely clear to you.

Working with a trainer allows you to look at the things you like about the trainer’s approach and those things you might not necessarily be fond of.

Takes notes on all the positives and negatives. Take sessions with more than one personal trainer.

Try out different exercise programs – strength training, bodybuilding, weight loss, and more – to further broaden perspectives.

The experience of working out with a personal trainer positively will provide insights into the proper trainer-client relationship.

Personal Training Is About Results

Ultimately, working out with a personal trainer is about seeing results. The specific results may change from client to client, but every client wants something out of their sessions.

When you are struggling to achieve results on your own, then maybe it is time to give a personal trainer a call.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I find a personal trainer?

You can either search directly online, ask your local gym, or use our PRO membership to access online personal trainers.

Can personal trainers come to your house?

Yes! Some personal trainers do train clients in their own homes.

What if I don’t like my personal trainer?

That’s completely okay! Finding a personal trainer that you connect with is important. If you do not like your personal trainer, make sure that you cancel any upcoming appointments to avoid being charged and either ask your gym for a new trainer or ask friends or family if they have any recommendations.

Be sure to be consistent with your fitness health. You can also find trainers and exercise routines by going PRO today and gaining access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, goal trackers, and more!

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