If you think that hiring a personal trainer is the best option for you, you might be surprised by the answer.  When most people make the decision to improve their health, get in shape or reach a seemingly distant fitness goal, they immediately think that they need to hire a personal trainer.  While there is nothing wrong with this, you need to understand that personal training is a large investment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are plenty of other fitness programs that can address your specific needs. Before you hire a personal trainer, ask yourself:

1. Can I afford it?

If you are on a very tight budget, you may want to look for other options because cheap personal training isn’t going to bring you the results you want.  Like any service, you tend to get what you pay for.  There are personal trainers whose rates tend to reflect the size of their ego, rather than the quality of their service. While you should expect to pay more than other fitness programs for personal training, watch out for rates that greatly exceed the norm and if you don’t see value, don’t give them your business.

2. Can I commit to a long term program?

If you’re someone who travels a lot or whose schedule is always changing from week to week, personal training might not be for you. It is very difficult for your trainer to design an effective, progressive program if he/she never knows when you’re going to be there to train.  If your job requires you to cancel your sessions, your program is not going to work and your investment will be wasted.  Most trainers have a cancellation policy that may not allow you to make up missed sessions, so be clear with your intentions if this is an issue for you.

No trainer can promise you a complete physical transformation in only a few weeks.  This takes time, and the length of time varies greatly from person to person. If you’re looking for a quick fix to your health problems, there are plenty of miracle diets and rapid fat loss schemes out there that you can look into, but personal training probably won’t work for you.  The benefits of personal training are more long term.

3. Have I identified the type of personal trainer I want to work with?

Do you require a personal trainer with a particular specialty?  There are specialists in rehabilitation, sports performance, weight loss, bodybuilding and so on . . . There are also trainers who work with certain demographics, such as men, women, seniors, youths and the disabled.   Although they are all personal trainers, you should identify what your needs are and seek out an expert.  Style, personality and philosopy also vary among personal trainers.  Be prepared to find one that suits you and will give you the best chance at achieving your fitness goals.

4. Am I unfamiliar with, or new to, exercise?

If you are new to exercise, personal training can benefit you the most.  You’ll learn how the exercise the right way the first time around. You haven’t developed bad habits, such as poor technique or inappropriate exercises from trying to do things on your own.  Since you have the most to learn and develop, you will have to most to gain. This not to say that personal training is just for beginners, in fact many intermediate and advanced trainees can benefit greatly from working with an *experienced personal trainer.  But if you’re just looking for a workout change or to learn some new exercises, save your money and buy a book.

*Experienced personal trainer: A trainer who has achieved or surpassed the physical standard that you have set for yourself and has accomplished the same results with other clients.

5. Do I have a clear goal in mind?

If you don’t have a  goal to accomplish, why do you need a trainer? Are you simply looking for a high paid workout buddy or friend?  This is not what personal training is about, although I see examples of this just about every day - but that’s a topic for another day. Your goal must be specific, measurable and attainable.  Saying “I want to tone my arms a little” is none of these things.  It provides no information for the trainer to work with and is completely subjective.  An example of a precise goal is: “I want to lose 20 lbs of fat in 1o weeks and keep it off”.  This is a goal that your trainer can work with. It can be tracked and measured, and he/she can give you constant, objective feedback on your progress.

6. Am I willing to work hard inside and outside of the gym?

I’m sure you know that you’re going to have to work hard in the gym, but are you prepared to make all the necessary lifestyle changes required to reach your goals and get the most out of your personal training investment?  A good personal trainer will make you accountable for what you do outside of his/her supervision, but obviously cannot force you to follow their recommendations. If you refuse to make adjustments to your lifestyle and believe that the workout alone will take care of everything, you should just join a bootcamp or a fitness class. Personal training is for focused people who are serious about getting results!

Now that you’ve answed the questions above, do you still think that personal training is right for you? If the answer is “yes!”, you are now ready to reap the benefits of having your own private, personal fitness professional and coach. And what are these benefits? Let’s take a look . . .

The Benefits Of Hiring A Personal Trainer

 

Goal Setting

Without a complete assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, you may not have a clear idea of what you want or need to accomplish. Even if you have your goals clearly established beforehand, you’re going to need to establish a realistic deadline for reaching them. Your personal trainer will determine if your goals are realistic and attainable.  After setting goals, your trainer will establish a program timeline, with many small deadlines throughout, to ensure that you reach the end goal on time.  Without the help of a trainer, many people skip this critical step altogether.  If you try to meet unrealistic goals, this can cause failure and bitter disappointment. You may also severely understate your goals, not realizing that you are capable of so much more.  You may also drift of track because you aren’t accountable to your goal setting blueprint.  As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A personal trainer will take care of all of this for you.

Supervision

If you are new to exercise, this is an absolute must.  Even if you are experienced, the presence of a second, more qualified eye will ensure that you are performing the exercises correctly and efficiently.  Many people who “teach” themselves usually end up developing bad habits or, worse, getting hurt.  This isn’t always a short term phenomenon, as injuries can occur years down the road from faulty exercise technique.  Having a personal trainer supervise your workouts will help keep you on track and ensure that you are training safely and effectively.  Just make sure that your trainer doesn’t use your time for personal conversation; they should be completely focused on the workout, otherwise how can they keep you focused?

Efficiency

We all want to save time and effort.  This another benefit of personal training. Your trainer can prescribe an exercise regimen that will minimize how long and how often you train.  Long gone will be the long, boring, directionless workouts you’ve been doing.  How you exercise is even more important than how much you exercise.  You will be taught what exercises are the most productive and methods that maximize efficiency.

Expertise

Unfortunately we can’t be experts at everything.  As an experienced personal trainer, it actually took me about 15 years of research, trial and error and “in the trenches” experience before I finally figured out the secrets to building a great body. Trust me, you don’t want to subject yourself to that kind of experimentation. I wish that I had sought out an expert when I first started.  I would have saved myself so much time, frustration and failures.  If your trainer is adequately educated and experienced, you have access to a wealth of knowledge that is yours for the taking.  As personal trainers we are teachers, and should be thought of as such.

Motivation

Without constant motivation, you’ll lose focus and your results will diminish fast.  A personal trainer will never let you lose sight of your target goal.   They will push you to the best of your abilities and beyond what you think you are capable of.  Great trainers have been in your shoes and know what it takes to awaken your motivation and create the mindset that you need to succeed.

Accountability and Support

This the most important component of your success on a fitness program.  If you’re not accountable to someone, you’re bound to go off course.  You may find yourself missing workouts and self-sabotaging yourself at every opportunity.  If you don’t have a strong social support system around you it’s also going to be very challenging for you to reach your goals.  A good personal trainer makes you accountable for your actions and your results.  Your personal trainer can also offer support when life’s challenges threaten your progress and you need a coach to get you through the tough spots.

Individualized Program Design

You should always be looking for an exercise program that is adapted to you, not the other way around.  Fitness classes and bootcamps expect you to adapt to their program.  This is faulty logic and does not result in optimal strength and conditioning.  A personal trainer will take the time to design a program to suit your individual needs. Your unique personality, strengths, weaknesses, preferences and needs are assessed and your program is based on this assessment. As your body changes, so do your needs.  A good trainer will adapt your program to keep up with these ever-changing needs.  This is the only way to get real results from an exercise program. Generic fitness programs will only result in disappointment and possibly injury.

Consistent and Long-Term Results

Just about any fitness program will work, at least for a few weeks! At that point you will begin to experience a series of progress plateaus that will leave you completely frustrated.  Your personal trainer can recognize the warning signs of a potential plateau and adjust your program to renew your progress.  And how do you plan to maintain your results after your program is completed?  A personal trainer will have a solution for that as well.  Just as it took detailed hard work to get in shape, you need a plan to maintain it.

I hope you can see that there are many benefits to having a personal trainer guide you toward better health and fitness. You are also now aware that personal training isn’t for everyone and how to determine if it’s the right option for you.  As always, all the best in your pursuit of a better body and a better life!

Well, we’re finally seeing a little sun now in Vancouver, which is a reminder that it’s time to get in shape for the summer.  Nowadays, the options for getting into shape are limitless. Some methods have stood the test of time, while others are new and innovative.  Of course, there are always methods that are absurd and usually disappear as soon as the promotional hype behind them fizzles out. I  can remember a time when getting a beach body was much simpler.  A time when we didn’t jump from program to program hoping that something would work.  Now it seems much more complicated –  but is it?

As long as fitness is big business, it will only get more complicated because confusion breeds opportunity.  Clever marketers know this and intentionally use confusion and uncertainty to gain your business.  My intention here is to help you gain some clarity when you’re choosing a method for getting fit and healthy this summer.  We’ll look at some of the most popular methods for achieving this.  Are they effective for everyone? A nd what are the benefits and drawbacks of each?

The following fitness program options are evaluated according to 4 main criteria: (1) cost; (2) the amount of qualified supervision; (3) whether the program keeps you accountable for your actions and results; and (4) if the program considers your individual strengths, weaknesses and goals.  They are rated from 1 to 5 –  5 being the best score and 1 being the worst score.  I’ve totalled the numbers to assign an overall value (out of a possible 20)  to that particular program with a brief paragraph to explain why each program scored the way it did.  Let’s get started. . .  

FITNESS GADGETS/HOME EXERCISE PROGRAMS

Cost- 2
Supervision- 0
Accountability- 0
Individualization- 1 

Overall Value 3/20 

While some fitness gadgets are quite useful, they are only tools and are only effective as part of a well designed fitness program.  Most, however, venture into the realm of the absurd. The Ab Lounge Chair and the Shake Weight come to mind.  There are also plenty of “ready made” fitness programs that you can do in your living room.  Some of these programs are actually pretty well thought out ( for canned exercise programs), but are limited in their efectiveness because they don’t factor in your unique needs as an individual.
Without supervision, you can’t be sure that your technique and execution is correct.  No matter how detailed the pictures of the model performing the exercises included in the manual are, without professional feedback you could get seriously hurt.  There is also no one to be accountable to for your actions and results.  This is why most fitness gadgets end up being used once or twice ( if at all), then stored away until the next yard sale.  Even if they were effective, they would only work if you actually used them, and let’s be honest here, you won’t! 

BOOTCAMPS

Cost- 5
Supervision- 1
Accountability- 1
Individualization-  1

Overall Value 8/20

This is easily the most popular trend in fitness right now.  In fact, as I look out my window in downtown Vancouver, I can see at least 4 or 5 outdoor bootcamps going on in my local park.  Bootcamps became popular a few years back and have only gained momentum as more and more personal trainers transition to boot camp instructors.  Many people benefit from the social support that working out in a group environment offers.  This is one of the most important factors in projecting your rate of success on a fitness program.  Without the support and accountability of others around you, you’ll likely go off track.  The energy these bootcamps offer is unrivaled.  When energy and enthusiasm is high you’ll be more likely to stay with the program and get more out of your efforts.  The cost is one of the best features of a bootcamp, since most bootcamps go for under $100/month.  This is well within the budget of most people.

With all its benefits, bootcamps do have some serious flaws.  Bootcamp instructors are not always personal trainers (although some are), they provide a workout based on the group dynamic, rather than a personalized program.  The workouts are designed to make you sweat, elevate your heart rate, get you moving and nothing more.  You cannot target your weaknesses and your progression will be limited by the rest of the class.  There is a lack of supervision and the coaching element is missing.  At the end of the day, this service is just another form of group exercise.

If you feel bootcamps are the option for you, there are a few things you want to consider:

• Who is creating the programs?  Are they experienced and possess a practical knowledge of exercise science?
• Are the workouts progressive or do they seem to be random sequences of exercises?
• Will they offer modifications for your unique abilities?

 
GROUP TRAINING

Cost -  4
Supervision- 2
Accountability- 2
Individualization- 2

Overall Value 10/20

This is sometimes referred to as Group Personal Training.  If that sounds like a paradox, it’s because it is.  Real personal training takes a lot of focus and energy on the part of the trainer.  This simply isn’t possible with more than 1 client.  Group Training is the correct name and more appropriately describes this service.  It is NOT Group Personal Training, as this service does not exist.

Group training can range from 3 participants to as many as 10 or more participants.  This is where the line between group training and bootcamps gets blurry.  For every additional person in the group, your ability to benefit from this service likely diminishes.  The cost is usually a fraction of the cost of one on one training and has many of the same benefits of a bootcamp.  These classes are usually run by a personal trainer, so the level of competence and supervision is higher.  There are still issues with the amount of individualization and accountability group training  can offer.  Your value to the trainer tends to be low and if you don’t make the class, you are promptly replaced with someone else.  You very quickly just become a number, not an individual.  At the end of the day though, no matter how its marketed, it’s still an exercise class, albeit one  that’s a little more personal.

If you feel this is your best option for reaching your fitness goals, ask  the trainer the same questions you would ask a bootcamp instructor and inquire about the class size.  Also find out if the fitness levels of the other participants are on par with your own.

SEMI-PRIVATE PERSONAL TRAINING

Cost- 3.5
Supervision- 3
Accountability- 5
Individualization- 3

 Overall Value 14.5/20

 Semi-private personal training, also referred to as Partner Training, is a great option for people with similar goals who want most of the benefits of one -on-one training.  People who choose this option are typically co-workers, family members, couples or people who just want to save money.  The cost is usually about 30-40% lower than the cost of one-on-one training, which is great for most budgets. With only 2 to 3 clients to supervise, the trainer can usually manage to track, measure and assess each client’s progress on an individual level. Plus, you are not only accountable to your trainer but also to your partner.

30 MINUTE PERSONAL TRAINING (1 trainer-1 client)

Cost- 2.5
Supervision- 5
Accountability- 4
Individualization- 3

Overall Value 14.5/30

30 minute personal training is another option that is increasing in popularity.  I’ve already covered this service in great detail in an earlier post.  Check it out here!  What this training option boils down to is a great workout in half the time for about half the price. It’s obvious why this would be appealing, but is it effective?  For some people it is a fantastic option, for others, it just won’t cut it. If you are completely new to exercise, are limited in how often you can train or lack enthusiasm and focus when you work out then 30 minute sessions might not be for you. On the other hand, if you are already proficient in your exercise technique, too busy for long workouts, are budget minded, can maintain optimum concentration and execution during a workout and if 30 minutes is adequate to achieve the program objective, then this is probably your best overall option.

You should also be warned that many trainers only train with the 30 minute model which means they tend to book as many as 15-20 clients per day.  This severely compromises the quality of the program and the focus of the trainer.  If your program doesn’t include progress tracking, coaching and accountability measures your results will suffer.  Just be careful when trying to cut costs because quite often you’ll be cutting into your results as well.

60 MINUTE PERSONAL TRAINING (1 trainer-1 client)

Cost- 1
Supervision- 5
Accountability- 5
Individualization- 5

Overall Value 16/20

 60 minute, one on one personal training is personal training in its purest form.  Many other programs use the name, but if it’s not one on one, it’s not personal training, plain and simple.  This is the highest quality of service you can get from a fitness program.  And, of course, if you want the best this is usually reflected in the cost.  This also where the greatest range in pricing exists among different personal trainers.  No wonder people are confused about personal training costs.  I know trainers that charge $120/hour.  YIKES!  I also know equally talented trainers that charge only $40 per session. My point is that you will pay more for full (60 minute sessions) but you don’t have to pay outrageous rates for it.  Shop around and you’ll find one that works for your budget.  Even still, some people will not be able to afford this, which is why there are other options available, such as the ones discussed already.

The reason true personal training programs are so effective is because the trainer has ample time to spend on your program design and make modifications along the way.  Your needs and limitations are carefully carefully considered and your program is customized specifically for YOU and only you.  This simply isn’t possible with any other program outside of one-on-one personal training.  Because the trainer only sees 6-8 clients per day (on average), you have a much higher perceived value to that trainer and this will be reflected in their service and commitment to your success.  

If one-on-one personal training sounds like the best option for you, you need know a few things before hiring a personal trainer.  Never take a personal trainer at face value alone:

• What is their educational and fitness background?
• Does their style of training match your personality and expectations?  Do you require specialized training?
• Do they offer a free trial so you can make an informed decision before demanding a commitment from you?
• Are they experienced?  Do they have testimonials to back up their claim to results?
• What is their health and fitness philosophy and are they are a living example of that philosophy?

 

DOING IT ALL YOURSELF 

Cost- 5
Supervision- 0
Accountability- 0
Individualization- 2.5

Overall Value 7.5/20

Of course, you can opt to join a gym and use the trial and error approach.  At only $50-70 per month, it is by far the most economical solution but has many potential downfalls.  Here’s a list of a few questions you have to answer before you get started:

• Can I set realistic goals and establish an appropriate timeline for achieving them?
• Do I know how to choose the right exercises and perform them safely, effectively and efficiently?
• Do I have a plan for managing my nutrition to meet the demands of my program?
• Do I have the skills to design a long-term fitness plan?
• Do I have the kind of support, accountability and motivation I need to succeed?
• Do I have strategies for overcoming monthly plateaus in my progress?
• Do I have a plan for maintaining my results when my program is over?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

If you answered yes to all of these questions then going it alone will probably work for you.  If you answered no to all or most of these questions, then you’re going to need some help from a professional fitness coach.  Even professional athletes have at least one in their corner, sometimes a few different coaches.  The point is, you can spend time researching everything yourself or blindly following fitness “gurus” in the hopes of designing a program for yourself or you can leave it in the hands of an expert.  The choice, as always, is yours.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with these popular fitness services.  The good, bad and ugly.  Please leave your comment below.  All the best!

I want to offer you a completely objective review of the effectiveness of 30 minute personal training sessions.  Now more than ever, people prioritize their health and fitness and actively seek solutions to get in shape.  To accommodate this trend, there has been a massive influx of  fitness professionals offering every conceivable solution to compete for your business.  One popular solutions is 30 minute personal training.  It promises great results in half the time and usually for half the cost.  Sounds like the best choice doesn’t it?  Not so fast .  .  .

You’re probably asking yourself  ”How can I possibly get an effective workout in 30 minutes?”  Well, the short answer is that you can, but it’s not always that simple.  Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of 30 minute personal training so you can make a more informed decision about this option.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The Benefits of 30 Minute Personal Training

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Time

This is a big one. The number one excuse people use to avoid exercise is that they don’t have time.  This comes from the preconceived notion that they’ll need to perform long, boring workouts 6 times/week to get results.  This simply isn’t true in most cases, and when a personal trainer says you can do it in 2-3 brief 30 minute sessions, it’s easy to see why people love this option.

Affordability

Personal training can be an expensive investment, especially if the service is used over a long period of time.  Why pay $50-80 or more for a one hour session when you can typically pay between $25-40 for 30 minutes?  This option is budget friendly and allows you to engage in supervised exercise for half the cost.  For struggling trainers, it allows them to compete for your business because they can keep their rates low and easily generate new business on a regular basis. So everyone wins right?

Focused Workouts

When you only have 30 minutes to work out, there’s no time to waste and this ensures that your time is spent efficiently. In one hour sessions, some personal trainers waste their clients’ time through irrelevant conversation and ineffective methods.  Or, if you are the type who tends to show up late for your one hour sessions, you may only receive a portion of that time anyway as the trainer is likely booked for the following hour.  In fact, some clients will intentionally show up late to avoid doing the full hour in hopes of performing less work. With the 30 minute option, you may approach the session with more urgency and punctuality.  Why pay for 60 minutes if your only going to do 30 minutes of work?.  The half hour approach keeps things focused and on schedule.

Fun and Energizing

Nothing will suck the energy and motivation out of you faster than long, hard and poorly designed workouts.  Thirty minute personal training offers a solution to that.  Let’s face it, most folks don’t like exercise and it’s more likely they’ll enjoy the experience if it is kept brief.  You won’t feel as exhausted at the end of the session and will likely keep your motivation higher for longer.

So, with all this positive support for 30 minute personal training sessions, you’re probably ready to run out and get in on the action right?  Read on .  .  .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The Drawbacks of 30 Minute Personal Training

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Incomplete Program Design

If personal training was just about the workout, I would have the easiest job in the world.  Most of my work as a personal trainer comes from the non-workout elements.  As I’ve explained in previous posts, a successful exercise program addresses all of the components of the fitness program, including exercise design, nutrition, mindset and accountability.  It is very difficult to accomplish all this in only 30 minutes.  How can your trainer coach you on nutrition and lifestyle best practices?  When are your results being tracked?  And what about proper warmup?  I’m not talking about walking on a treadmill for five minutes, I’m talking about active stretching and mobility work to properly prepare your body for more intense exercise.  How about the stretching and cooldown component at the end? 

Even if the 30 minute program addresses these, how much time is left for the actual workout? 15 or 20 minutes at best.

Lowered Perceived Value

When a trainer is only charging you $25 and probably only keeping $15 of it after paying gym fees, you have a much lower value to him/her than the client who pays for 1 hour training.  A 30 minute trainer will often book 15-20 clients a day with this approach or even more if they pair you up with someone.  Do you really think that trainer spends much time on the details of your program and your results?  Will they have time to be there for you in a supportive role? It’s impossible to see that many faces and keep up to speed on everyone’s needs.  Is this even personal training anymore?

Generic Program Design

If your personal trainer operates out of a studio or fitness club, you’re going to run into situations where things get crowded at peak hours of the day.  These are the times when most people want to train.  At these times, it becomes difficult to perform the program as intended, forcing the trainer to adapt with alternative options.  Although this is not ideal, it’s the reality.  The problem with 30 minute sessions is that if you’re stuck waiting for equipment or space, this will very quickly cut into your sessions reducing the effectiveness of the workout.

To meet these demands, 30 minute trainers often design “generic” or “recycled” workouts that don’t require much equipment or space. I’ve seen this first hand –  20 clients and 1 workout.  It’s a high pressure situation for the trainer, attempting to sevice clients quickly in a busy environment.  They can become preoccupied with watching the clock, waiting for their next client to arrive and not focusing on your results.

Time Contraints

I’m not contradicting myself here, because time is also a drawback of 30 minute sessions.  What happens if you are 5-10 minutes late?   That only leaves 20 minutes to warmup, workout and cool down.  That’s obviously not going to be very effective if it happens often enough, and it does, believe me.

So, I’ve listed some major benefits and drawbacks of the 30 minute personal training session.  As the duration of your workout decreases, the intensity or challenge of the workout must proportionately increase.  However, most regular people do not possess the  motivation and work ethic to get the most out of a 30 minute session.  These sessions can be extremly effective for people who are very advanced in their training.  In fact, I use 30 minute sessions myself, but they aren’t for the faint of heart and wouldn’t be appropriate for most of the people I’ve trained or come in contact with.

I offer 30 minute personal training programs to my own clients, but only when appropriate.  Whatever your reason for choosing this training option, consider the points I’ve made here and if you still think it’s right for you, then it probably is.  Just remember, like any other service, you tend to get what you pay for.  You have to be careful when looking for “cheaper” personal training solutions because it is a market dominated by trainers with low client retention, who are new to the industry and need to build a clientele fast.  Is this the profile of a personal trainer that you want training you?  You need to properly identify your needs and find a personal training solution that is right for you before you jump on the 30 minute personal training bandwagon.

So, you’ve made the right decision to start an exercise program and to finally clean up your diet. Congratulations, you’ve just started your journey to becoming the best you can be. You’ve given your genes a chance to express themselves in the most optimal way and you’re set to get the most out of your life. In fact, you’re so serious about making big changes that you’ve decided to get the help of fitness professional. But do you know where to look? Do you even know what you’re looking for?  Trying to find a good personal trainer in Vancouver is not unlike trying to find a good dentist, a lawyer or a doctor in that they are not all created equal.

It seems that every personal trainer nowadays has a specialty program or system that is better than all the rest. But, it can be difficult to know what makes an exercise program effective or what makes it complete nonsense. You are completely at the mercy of the marketing that you are presented with, which seldom has any real world practicality or scientific rationale tied to its use. I’m going to attempt to remove the veil of ignorance from your eyes and empower you with 8 things to look for when you hire a personal trainer.

1. Their background

This might be the most overlooked area when you are scouting for a personal trainer. How do I know? Because I am one and in 10 years I can count on 1 hand how many times a prospective client has inquired about my credentials. Even today, people hire me based on reputation or a general assumption that I am professional. Personal training can be a large investment, not only financially, but you put your health into someone else’s hands. Don’t you want them to be qualified?

Now although I think that all personal trainers should be certified, or at least have some formal education in the science of exercise, a trainer’s true worth is determined by his/her application of this knowledge. Trust me when I say that some of the worst trainers out there actually possess the most education, they just lack the ability to apply it in real world situations. So first establish if they have a reputable certification. How much experience do they have and does their experience match your goals? What are others saying about this trainer? What have they accomplished with their own training efforts? I can tell you that a trainer who is out of shape doesn’t likely spend much time reading or practicing their own methods. Perhaps they are too busy marketing garbage fitness info products because they are more motivated by greed than by your needs.

To answer these questions you’ll need to find methods in both the online and offline world. These days you can get reviews and background information on just about any personal trainer in Vancouver from Google.

2. Their approach

Here’s a fact. Personal trainers or fitness instructors that use “canned” exercise programs or one size fits all solutions to your goals do not possess the critical thinking and problem solving skills to helping you achieve them. While it is true that almost anything will work if you’ve been inactive for sometime, you will soon hit a plateau that this type of trainer will not be able to get you out of. You can recognize this approach from the trainer who trains 8-10 people a day and never seems to record anything. How does he/she remember all that data to be referenced 6 months from now? Does it seem like your program is constantly changing for no apparent reason and with no explanation from the trainer? Are the exercises randomly delivered without any consistency. If your trainer is guilty of any of these, he/she is just giving you a “workout” and your results will soon stagnate.

When the trainer is working, is he/she a “workout buddy” or a teacher to their client? Teachers will give you skills that you can use on your own for the rest of your life. A workout buddy just pumps you up and counts reps. Which is more valuable to you? I can tell you that teachers are hard to find but you can pick up a workout buddy at any gym for about $15/hr.

3. Their training style

This is critical. If you don’t like your trainer, how effective can they be? Most personal trainers, as they mature, will develop a style that blends with their target market. This is one way they build their reputation. Some common examples are: the gym jerk and Mr. Personality.

These 2 types are the complete opposite. The former can best be described as the boot camp instructor from hell. They are loud, abrasive, and obnoxious to most people. They believe it is their duty to break down your will and your body in order to build it. They’ll tell you that feeling nauseous is normal and they’ll force advanced exercise techniques on you in your first workout.

The latter example won’t do any of these things, in fact, they might do nothing at all. Many people are attracted to Mr. Personality for his flamboyant personality and gift for gab. Although you can expect riveting conversation from this trainer, it will almost always distract from the workout and ultimately your results. He/she is often to busy “working the room”, to even notice what you’re doing and usually fails in getting you to work hard enough or with enough focus to be effective.

Personal trainers in Vancouver that fall into either of these categories are most likely using their unique persona to compensate for a lack of training expertise, experience or sense of inadequacy and ultimately give you a warped view of what a personal trainer is.

4. Their health and fitness philosophy

Every personal trainer in Vancouver adheres to a specific code of conduct or philosophy that determines what direction his/her clients will go. It is your responsibility to find out what your trainer’s philosophy is and if it will match your own. Some things to consider are:

• Could their system potentially get you injured? Lifting weight too fast, use of high impact activities ( i.e. sprinting, running, plyometrics), using poor exercise technique and misuse of unstable exercise tools (exercise balls, bosu) are all examples of practices that can get you hurt unnecessarily.
• Can this approach be followed long term? Are you doing long workouts and several session per week? Is this really sustainable if you have a busy life?
• Do the trainers practices gel with common sense? Do the methods seem to be logical and reasonable?
• Have they got good results for their clients with said practices?

 

5. How do they work out?

You can tell a lot about a trainer by watching them work out. Some trainers just can’t get past training their clients the way they train themselves. It works for them so it must work for you too, right? Wrong! The worst culprit is the bodybuilder turned trainer (note, I too am a bodybuilder turned trainer, just don’t hold it against me). These trainers tend to grunt and groan their way through their high intensity sets and will most likely expect you to do the same.

Another example is the trainer who seems to do nothing but cardio and lifts the lightest weight in the gym for years on end. Well, if you hire them, guess what you’ll probably be doing? I come from a background of lifting heavy weights; and guess what, my clients are the strongest in the gym. This because I tend to slant my programs toward strength development. It’s what I know best. How you want your training experience to be can be directly tied to the experience you see the trainer having during his/her workout. Observe their technique and body language. If that doesn’t appeal to you look elsewhere.

6. Do they offer nutritional counselling ?

If you really want results from a personal training investment, you’ll need one that covers all your bases. The biggest one being your nutrition. Nutrition plays a vital role in your overall health, performance and appearance, and needs to be assessed and managed by a qualified trainer. Personal trainer certifications don’t offer trainers much more than a Grade 7 health class level of knowledge so it’s up to the trainer to seek related credentials on their own. Stay far away from trainers who prescribe diets or diet templates. This is far too common and it’s usually based on some arbitrary mathematical formula that’s given to all their clients. A good trainer also has accountability systems to keep you on your nutrition program to track and tweak your program based on your current needs.

7. Do they implement fitness “gimmicks” into their clients’ routine

This is a common case of a trainer lacking knowledge and/or professional confidence. If they are assured in their methods they wouldn’t need to jump on the latest fitness gadget to get you results. These gimmicks all come and go, so you want a trainer that utilizes proven methods to help you reach your goals.

8. Beware of “cheap” personal training

There are many personal trainers that will compete for your business by claiming that you don’t need to pay high prices for personal training. They offer a solution that has you paying about 2/3 of the price of  their competitors to get your attention. This isn’t a bad thing, but there is usually some deception in the fine print. They don’t tell you upfront that although it’s about 30% cheaper, it’s also only 30 minutes! In other words you’d pay 2/3 the cost for half the time. Not such a good deal now is it? For 60 minutes, their rates are actually higher than the market standard.

If you’re into 30 minute sessions and want to pay less than a 60 minute session then this is great news for you. Just understand that the overall value of 30 minutes is less than a 60 minute session in most cases. Proponents of this system will tell you you don’t need to work out for an hour when only 30 minutes will do. While for some this may be true, for most people, this simply won’t work. To understand this further check out this post for a 30 minute personal training review.

Another place that perpetuates cheap personal training is Craigslist. This is where many junior or struggling personal trainers try to get their business up and running. They offer great deals but buyer beware, because talented and experienced fitness professionals don’t need to do this. Other trainers offer cheap rates for ”personal training” but when you read their ad more thoroughly, it’s actually a group fitness class that your signing up for. If it’s not one on one, it’s not personal training, simple as that.

If you’d like any further objective insight into choosing a personal trainer in Vancouver for yourself please leave your questions below and I’d be happy to help you out. To get access to affordable personal training for almost any budget, go here. All the best!

How many times have you tried to lose weight through diet and exercise? You exercise regularly and consume what you perceive to be a sound diet but the scale refuses to budge. Wait, it gets worse.  So you hire a personal trainer and sign up for a 12 week body transformation to get lean and beach ready for the summer. Your main goal is to lose 15 pounds of fat in that period.  Now the motivation and effort levels are intensified and  you actually start to see some results. But at the end of the program you’ve only netted a mere 1-2 pounds of fat loss. Not very much is it? At least your clothes are a little bit looser and you do feel better from your new fitness level, but let’s look a little deeper.

By the end of the transformation, you’ve been performing 3 strength training workouts and 2 cardiovascular interval sessions. Progressively getting better each time you go to the gym. This is great. You should expect regular performance increases as your body adapts and transfigures into the body you initially had in mind at the start of the program. While you’re happy about this, you can’t help but be dumbfounded by the lack of  fat loss. You think you’re eating sensibly right? What could be going wrong? Maybe you’re just meant to be fat.

So now you’ve given in and rationalized your failure. You’ve just spent about $2,200 for a new body and all you have to show for your sacrifice is 1-2 pounds of fat loss? I don’t care how you rationalize it, this is unacceptable.I see these kind of results everyday and I almost always blame the trainer. A lot of personal trainers will deflect the responsibility claiming their client just wouldn’t listen to advice given. Usually they give some generic nutritional advice like, eat less, cut down on the carbs and try to eat balanced meals. None of this meets your needs and your results will reflect this fact.

 While it’s common for clients not to listen to advice outside the gym walls, it’s not your fault , it is the trainer’s system that is not working. As trainers, we are always growing and systematizing our processes to make the biggest impact on our client’s results. If the client isn’t getting results, the system is flawed, plain and simple. Get yourself another trainer right away!

Here’s a fact: Exercise ALONE doesn’t really work all that well.  Many recent studies confirm this to be true. This especially when looking at body composition related outcomes, like fat loss– which is far and away the most important thing people are asking for help with.

When it comes to losing weight, in most cases, you’ll need a radically different approach. Eating chicken breasts and broccoli at every meal is not the solution and eating well goes way beyond the narrow scope of Canada’s Food Guide.  Since your exercise is progressing quite well it’s time to get your diet working optimally for you. I assure you, if you’re exercising and not losing weight, then your nutritional needs are not being met in one way or another.  You need to really take stock of what you are eating, how much and when.

In my next post I’m going to offer you some at- home strategies you can use to bolster your weight loss efforts starting from your kitchen outward.  Remember that while being active is an integral part of attaining a healthy body,  it is only part of  a much broader picture. The diet always seems to be the area people struggle with the most for 2 main reasons:

• Seeking nutrition advice from unqualified fitness professional

• Completely misjudging the quality and quantity of the foods they eat.

 Find a personal trainer that employs a proven weight loss system, with consistant results to prove it’s effectiveness. The system should be realistic and customized to your specific needs. This is why hiring an experienced personal trainer is so important. It takes years to design an effective weight loss program that will work for everyone.

Until next time; get stronger and live longer