Why have a Personal Trainer?

For some it’s a funny thought, that paying for someone to watch and guide you through your gym session, is quite frankly absurd. Why on earth would you pay someone to do something that you can do for free? Just bloody get up and do it yourself! I hear you PT haters and for some, this is true. Not of all us need, nor desire a Personal Trainer, you of course have a well-structured workout regime in place that nether requires change or critique. All those gym selfies and workout videos make you quite the gym expert. But have you ever asked yourself, are you getting it right? Who actually taught you to squat, YouTube? How are you learning all these new lifts and regimes? From your favourite fitness influencer on Instagram? And what credentials does she or he have? In a diluted market where just about every man and his dog is a fitness expert, how can you be sure, that what you’re seeing and buying into, is a trustworthy source?  

Training for some is not complicated, yet it’s essential. For all of us, whether you are a gym hater or a gym junkie, you, just like making time to eat, to shop, to work, should find time to be active, it’s a fundamental of life. What is mistaken by so many, is the way we work out. Not everyone is lured into the gym nest, some find their love for exercising in a swimming pool, out running with the dog, trekking, yoga, a spin class and dance, as long as we are moving, you’re being kind to your body.

For many of us we spend money on nice meals out, overpriced items of clothing (guilty as sin), boozy brunches, fancy cars and many more luxury things. Of course, whether you think it or not, having a PT is yet another luxury item to add to the list, they don’t come cheap, it can be dangerously addictive but one thing’s for sure, if you get the right PT, it may very well revolutionise your life. A little dramatic you may think, how can a person watching you train have that much of an impact on you? You buy that one session and then you’re wondering where could this possibly go? Yesterday my back was hurting, today it feels a little better. Yesterday I didn’t know how to do a deadlift, today I learned my very first Olympic Lift. Yesterday I didn’t think it was possible to run 500m, today I jogged the whole way. Yesterday I never thought I’d hold a plank again after having a baby, today I did. The possibilities are endless, it’s not about someone just watching you train, it’s about someone guiding you through a minefield of strategies and ever-expanding methods of training, to help you find your way into the path of fitness, in your very own ‘personal’ way.

Fitness, firstly is not generic. What one person can do, the next may not. What someone’s goals may be, someone else’s are different. What one person lifted today, another will lift less or maybe more. What one postnatal lady did in three months another may take a year. What one can do in the gym, another may never even fathom. Your fitness journey is about you, its personal, its individual and should not be compared to any others.

In this new cyber age, where most our thoughts and choices are influenced by what we see on social media, it’s no wonder that the world of fitness has cascaded into yet another current fashionable market. Rewind twenty years, it simply wasn’t fathomable to be taking selfies in ones very own gym co-ords, or filming yourself hitting a personal best on your favourite lift or press. Now however, social media platforms are cluttered with people showing off what they can do, what they eat and their newly polished six pack, it can all be very overwhelming.

So why do you need a Personal Trainer? For some its perhaps something you never thought about before, the whole concept of stepping into a gym is quite frankly horrifying. For some it’s not a necessity but a measure put in place to make this whole ‘fitness journey,’ a more rewarding one. For some its pure love, yes pure love! They love to train and quite often (if I say so myself), love their PT! For some it’s about accountability, that someone is checking in on you, keeping you focused and motivated. Whilst for others, it is purely because unless that appointment isn’t fixed in the diary every week, you simply wouldn’t do it.

Perhaps having a PT isn’t for one specific focus it’s about curiosity. Whilst you’re a novice at training and you are one of your gym favourites, a member clocking in 4-5 maybe more times a week, a regular in all group classes and a territorial squat rack hugger, believe it or not, it’s possible you still aren’t reaching your full fitness potential. Have you ever asked yourself, what you’re doing is right. Are you training quality over quantity? How are you tracking your progress? Are your goals being met, is there change? I see it all the time, the over trainers, slugging their guts out morning, noon and night and whilst thy are admired by the lost sheep in the gym, planning their next move onto the next machine, you guys are at a standstill and wondering why your goals are not being met.  

For many fitness is something that you will invest in all your life, making a promise to our body, that we shall look after it, nurture it and do the best to keep it well throughout your years. Exercising, however small or big contributes to a lifetime of happiness, it keeps our minds strong and it is believed that with exercise, breeds confidence. Have you ever trained, or dedicated time to some form of exercise and thought, wow I feel great? Inside a whole bundle of chemical reactions are taking place that stimulate ‘feel good,’ vibes. Pre workout you felt sluggish and now you feel fantastic, it’s Science and there is no mistaking it! A wise person once said ‘you’ll never regret a workout,’ cheers mate, you’re absolutely right! For me and so many others exercising has pathed way to a better day, to a better you. And for so many this investment into a Personal Trainer is an investment into your wellbeing, your body and what’s more, that session, that hour with your fitness guru, is all about and only about, YOU!

Whatever your goals, wherever your fitness journey may take you, it’s possible investing into a Personal Trainer could make it an even better one. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic, or the new kid in the class, it’s never too late or too early. Yesterday you talked of working out, you dreamed of reaching your fitness goals, today you made the first step and got yourself a PT. Good luck, here’s to your new journey!