DO YOU NEED A PERSONAL TRAINER?

Motivation, supervision, extra care about safety and above all, they have a lot of knowledge and experience. These are the advantages of a personal trainer. However, are they necessary for success?

What can you expect from a PT? We bust the myths.

Before you start looking for the right personal trainer and decide to work with them, determine what you really care about. Not all your needs will require working with a trainer. And there are facets such as daily motivation and adherence to a diet which are best coming from your internal needs and self-discipline. Here are the most frequently repeated opinions of people who decide to work with a trainer. Consider which of these might apply to you as well.

"I need to work with a trainer because I'm a beginner and I don't know the exercises."

This is probably the best reason to start personal training. An experienced trainer will show you the exercises, teach you how to perform them, and will create a training plan based around them and your physical limits. But how long should your time together last? Sometimes a few training sessions are enough, and sometimes a long-term relationship is needed. It depends on the relationship between the coach and the student and the financial capabilities of the latter.

"I'm coming back to sport after an injury/illness, and I need someone who will organize my training properly."

This is also a great reason to work with a personal trainer. In this case, it is worth choosing a trainer who has knowledge in the field of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Movement limitations or lack of strength and endurance resulting from the disease require an appropriate rehabilitation program. Not every trainer in the gym will be able to provide the support you need, and unfortunately many can even hurt or make the situation worse.

"Working with a trainer will force me to follow a diet."

Do not count on it. The trainer won't stand by your fridge and look in your plate. They can give dietary advice, they can even - if they has the appropriate qualifications - create a full diet plan, but its preparation and compliance is solely your responsibility.

"Working with a trainer will force me to come to the gym."

If you already know that you will go to the gym out of necessity, not willingness, then maybe it's worth looking for another form of activity, e.g., group sports or social activities outdoors? Training in the gym must be fun, not associated with boredom and duty.

"The coach will help me reach my goal faster."

Certainly yes. Together with you, they will help you define your goals and put steps in place to reach them with a training program and from there, control the progress. However, think about how long you want to train in this way and whether there will be an unpleasant decline in form and motivation after you stop training together?

So… better with a PT or alone?

The knowledge and experience of a trainer can be great advantages. Observing people training in the gym, you can quickly conclude that half of the people are doing the exercises wrong, have poor technique or incorrectly selects weights. They are often one step away from injury. Working with a trainer, will help you avoid becoming one of these people. Movement patterns learned under the supervision of a trainer will stay with you forever. However, if after some time the trainer's contribution is limited to counting repetitions, measuring time and efficient preparation of machines, then ... it's probably time for a change. You can successfully perform these activities yourself. A coach must be a constant source of inspiration. If you are afraid that after parting with the trainer your motivation will drop, start exercising with someone, preferably a bit more experienced than you. You will not only assist each other during more difficult exercises, but also motivate each other.

A healthy division of duties in the team: