Is a personal trainer effective? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Is a personal trainer effective?

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 personal trainer can contribute to effective workout results.
  • Personal trainers lend knowledge and experience that clients can take advantage of.
  • Clients must be sure they are hiring the most qualified personal trainer.

Who wants to go into the gym week in and week out for years and never see any results? No one. But there are a lot of people who consistently exercise yet never see significant muscle gains or fat loss. Maybe they could use some assistance.

Personal trainers love to help others get into great shape. Maybe you are thinking about hiring one. Since it costs money to book the services of a personal trainer, wondering if the trainer can truly be effective is understandable.

So, can a personal trainer be effective? Yes, but the results are up to you as well.

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How Much Do You Want It?

A personal trainer helps those willing to put in the necessary effort to make lifestyle changes. You have to want to change your eating and exercise habits. You must desire to hit the gym hard and put in a lot of effort. A sincere interest to learn about exercise and fitness plays a role, too.

A personal trainer can’t make a lazy, undisciplined, disinterested client see results. Pawning hard work off to a personal trainer would be a ridiculous get-in-shape plan. A little self-motivation goes a long way. Good clients must listen, follow advice, and stick to their prescribed workouts. They must be committed to meeting their scheduled sessions and must show up in the proper condition to perform.

Working smart is sometimes more important than working hard. Without the right understanding of exercise science and proper program design, workout results may be elusive.

As a beacon of knowledge and motivational support, a personal trainer can definitely be effective.

Personal Trainers Get Clients On The Right Path

Great personal trainers aren’t just workout partners or people who spot heavyweights. They are actively engaged in making sure a client stays on the best path for progress and results.

Here are a few ways they do this:

Devising a Program for Specific Goals

Clients with individual goals must perform the correct workout routine for achieving those goals.

Do you want to bulk up? If so, hopefully, you aren’t eating a calorie-restricted diet and performing tons of isolation exercises. Both would dramatically reduce the potential to build mass. Not everybody knows about nutrition and exercise selection, which is where a trainer steps in.

Once you explain your goals to a trainer, they can develop a program that’s perfect for long-term achievements. The trainer can choose the best specific exercises and workout durations. This way, less time is wasted in the gym performing the wrong exercises.

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Trainers Perform Evaluations

An effective trainer conducts a fitness evaluation on new trainees. They test a new client’s strength, balance, coordination, endurance, cardiovascular conditioning, and more.

No one passes or fails an evaluation. The testing gives a trainer an idea of where to start with a client. Trainers start clients at a comfortable level and guide them towards higher intensity over time.

Improving Exercise Performance

A lot of folks in the gym think they “got it” with proper exercise performance, but they don’t. Even being slightly off can undermine the benefits of a particular exercise. For example, a trainer could make sure you always lock your arms with certain exercises to hit additional upper-body muscles. They might keep you from performing an exercise too fast or too slowly. Little tips about proper form and performance are valuable, as they improve gains.

Correct exercise form also cuts down on injury risks. Injuries not only hamper gains in the gym, but they also make performing daily activities difficult. Major injuries can be outright debilitating. Proper instruction that reduces injuries is part of effective instruction.

Motivating Clients During Workouts

Everyone who hits the gym has those days where they don’t feel totally motivated. Not wanting to put in the necessary effort to perform that one last rep can be purely psychological.

Thankfully, a personal trainer also serves as a motivational coach. They know how to nudge clients into safely giving a little extra effort.

Quitting unnecessarily during a workout or exercising too lightly won’t help you burn calories or build muscles. Trainers know this, which is why they motivate clients to work to their full abilities.

Hire a Trainer Wisely

Only an experienced and qualified personal trainer is likely to be effective. Before hiring a trainer, make sure they have a credible certificate and verifiable experience.

Asking for references doesn’t hurt. Neither does checking out blogs, videos, or other material the trainer produced. They all tell a story. Make sure you hire the right trainer. Doing so helps you both get the best out of your sessions together.

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.

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