As a personal trainer, my clients will ask me, “How often should we meet?” This is a good question and one that takes some careful consideration because everybody’s needs and wants are different. Most of what personal training is about is instruction, support, and accountability. Here are some things to consider when deciding how often to see your trainer: How experienced are you? How fit are you right now? Do you tend to fall off your exercise schedule? What can you afford?
The less experienced you are, the more often I recommend meeting with a trainer especially in the beginning. Maybe three times a week for 4 weeks. After you’ve learned enough of the basics you could start to see the trainer less frequently. Here’s why: People that don’t know much about exercise and form have a lot to learn and that’s what the trainer is there for. In the beginning I suggest doing all of your weight workouts supervised by a trainer until your form is really good. I call it my ‘high five of approval’. I will not send a client off to do weight lifting exercises on their own until I am 100% confident that their form is great. Otherwise, the result is that they may do it wrong and end up with an injury. Exercising on your own is a decision that you and your trainer should make together. Create momentum in the beginning.
Lots of people are very well aware of what to do at the gym but just can’t seem to get to the gym. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably a good idea to always have a weekly appointment on the calendar. Accountability is a very legitimate reason to have a trainer. My clients say to me all the time: “If I didn’t have this appointment, I wouldn’t have exercised today.” Be honest with yourself and if you know you won’t do it on your own then some accountability might be just what you need.
If you’ve been working out on your own and following the same routine for a long time I suggest meeting with a trainer once a month to change things up a bit. Maybe you’ve heard about ‘confusing your body’? In exercise, one of the most ineffective things you can do is repeat the same thing day in day out for weeks, months or even years. It’s not as uncommon as you might think for someone to do the same exercises for 10 years or more! Don’t fall into this. By changing your routine frequently you are confusing your body, challenging it and forcing it to adjust its response. This is a good thing. If you find yourself falling into a rut, getting bored or too comfortable have a trainer give you some new exercises and mix it up once a month.
Of course when you’re trying to figure out how often to see a trainer budget is going to come up. The two of you can talk about what you have to spend and they will help you to get the most out of your money. It’s the trainer’s job to assess the situation and make suggestions about what they think will be helpful. The two of you can then decide together how you will move forward.
Remember that the frequency of your training is not set in stone. Sometimes it may be more frequently, other times less frequently depending on what’s going on in your life. Your trainer will always work with you to do what is appropriate at any given time. If you’re lucky enough to have a trainer that you really enjoy and that’s helping you to get the results you want, they’re probably going to be in your life for a long time!
Picking the correct Denver Personal Trainer will make or break your goal to get in shape. Let us be your fitness confidant and create a individual workout plan that is best for you. Visit www.filettifitness.com today for more information.