Lose weight and tone up.

That’s the number 1 answer – by far – that I get when I ask potential clients why they want to work with me. It’s a fine answer – it’s what they want to do. It’s their goal.

However, during that first session if in-person, and first consultation, if online, I do my best to open their eyes to the multitude of benefits they can get from having a trainer and coach helping them out. There are MANY – so I won’t list them all out today, but I’m going to share with you what I think are some of the best reasons.

But first I should point out that not only am I speaking form experience and expertise as a trainer, but also as a client. I’m a personal trainer, nutritionist, and health coach, but I still  hire online personal trainers (and just recently started working with a well-known virtual nutrition coach) from time to time. Why, If I’m already a qualified professional? Well, you can always learn from someone who knows more or differently than you, first of all. Secondly, I like to put myself in my clients’ shoes every now and again, because I think being able to relate to your clients  is HUGE, nay imperative, in this field.

I might be a little bias, but I think everyone (who has fitness/health goals) would benefit from having a personal trainer! Why?

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Why Should I Have a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach?

 1. Working with a program that’s written for YOU.

Before working with me, many of my clients weren’t really following a solid training program. They’d hop on a cardio machine, or do a workout they found in a fitness magazine or on Pinterest. Some had been following a program, but it would be haphazardly, or one found in a common fitness magazine or website that was written for the masses.

I can’t emphasize enough the benefit of following a program – whether it’s training or nutrition – that’s written for you. A program that was designed with your goals, physique, schedule, lifestyle, health, and preferences in mind is the one that will likely be most successful for you. Second to that, is a program written for a specific goal that happens to also be your goal. This takes the guesswork out of going to the gym and wondering if what you’re doing will make a difference in your goals, or if eating a certain way is right for your training and your metabolic makeup.

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2. Accountability.

I know firsthand as both a trainer and a client that having someone to report to at the end of the week is HUGE is terms of motivation. That accountability factor might be the make or break factor of whether you’ll reach your goals, depending on what motivates you. I know that for me, having a coach who has taken the time and energy to write a program and coach me along the way makes me that much more motivated to do what I need to do to meet my goals.

3. Ensure form safety.

On a daily basis I see people in the gym doing exercises incorrectly. Some of them I just know pulled that exercise from a quick demo off of a fitness magazine or website and then tried to replicate it in the gym, without being taught how to do it properly. Best case scenario is the exercise isn’t doing what it’s intended to do. Worst case scenario is injury.

Having a trainer will help reduce the risk of injury and ensure safety with form. Additionally, a trainer can help you push yourself just enough – but not too far. Same goes for nutrition. Following a nutrition plan that’s written for the masses can leave you hungry, cranky, and not performing to your optimum level.

4. Better your movement patterns and progressions. 

If I’m training a client in-person, we’ll go through an assessment where I take them through the basic movement patterns – squat, push up, plank, hip hinge, and row. If it’s online, I’ll have them shoot over a few quick videos shot with their iphones. With all of these moves, there’s a multitude of ways to advance them – before ever adding weight.

No matter which level they start with, over a 4 week period, most clients notice a considerable difference the quality of their movement patters – both in daily life and in the gym. Most of it is neuromuscular progress, but some clients notice less pain and a fuller range of motion. Recently, I’d been training a client who got fairly frequent back spasms in her lower back. After about 6 weeks of training together, they basically became nonexistent, and we’d been progressing to exercises such as dead lifts, hip thrusts, and even kettlebell swings!

Sure, you might initially hire a trainer for strength, but you’ll soon see that you’re also improving your balance, posture, and mobility.

5. Gain strength-induced confidence.

One of the best moments for me while training a client is seeing their face light up after completing a lift or doing something in the gym that they hadn’t thought they’d ever be able to do. From first push ups to first pull ups to performing olympic lifts, strength-induced or gym-induced confidence is what helps you look forward to your workouts each day, and what makes the process exciting.

It helps the focus to not be solely aesthetic, which is huge in terms of long-term compliance.

6. Maintenance mode.

Demystify what maintenance mode is. Unfortunately, I’ve had a handful of clients come to me after they’d once achieved their goals, but didn’t know what to do next. Maintenance mode is a real thing, but it can be tricky. Some people fear reverting back to their old habits and take it too far, while others do the complete opposite – returning to their habits prior to making a change for their health, and going back to that same place. Having a trainer sets you up for doing what needs to be done once you’ve reached your goals.

7. Learn how nutrition and exercise compliment each other.

An well-written training plan is excellent, but a customized nutrition plan can take it to the next level. From promoting training performance to building certain meals with certain macros to better reach your goals, nutrition plays a integral part in your training (and of course, you physique.)

8. Learn new exercises, workouts, recipes, etc. 

If you’ve been training in the gym for a while, hiring a trainer can open you up to a complete new realm of exercises, tempos, formats, and training patterns. It’s easy to feel stagnant in your current routine if you’ve been doing it for a while.

Instead of transitioning from generic program to generic program, working with a trainer can determine what type of training will be best for you and what you want to achieve right now.

9. Get a better idea of what your goals are.

I never suggest or tell my clients what their goals are, but through our initial consultation, I help them come up with multiple goals to work that they might not have originally had when they first emailed me. Trainers are also excellent observers, whether online or in-person, and part of our job is to notice your improvements. You might not see a victory where there is one, clouded by something else going on, but a good trainer sees them and assesses, and helps you build new goals.

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Like I said, I think everyone would benefit from having a trainer, but it’s super important to find someone who is well-qualified – one who has experience and expertise. Additionally, it’s important to find the right one for you. I am currently accepting clients – but only through the end of the year (and then again after March.) If you think you might be interested in online personal training or nutrition coaching, you can learn more here, or email me at yourtainerpaige@gmail.com to see if we might be a good fit together! 🙂 You can also find a trainer in your area through ACE’s Find a Trainer tool.

Have you ever worked with a trainer or nutrition coach? What was your experience?

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If you’re interested in 1-on-1 personal coaching or training programs, you can learn more here.